A Relationship between Behavior, Neurotrophin Expression, and New Neuron Survival

The high vocal center (HVC) controls song production in songbirds and sends a projection to the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA) of the descending vocal pathway. HVC receives new neurons in adulthood. Most of the new neurons project to RA and replace other neurons of the same kind. We show h...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 97; no. 15; pp. 8584 - 8589
Main Authors Li, Xiao-Ching, Jarvis, Erich D., Alvarez-Borda, Benjamin, Lim, Daniel A., Nottebohm, Fernando
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 18.07.2000
National Acad Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences
Subjects
Adulthood
Animal behavior
Animals
Antibodies
Biological Sciences
Biology
Bird songs
Birds
Brain - metabolism
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - biosynthesis
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - genetics
Canaries
Cell Survival
Gene Expression
high vocal center
Hippocampus
Humans
In situ hybridization
Male
Messenger RNA
Neurology
Neurons
Neurons - cytology
Neuroscience
RNA, Messenger
Serinus canaria
Singing
song control nuclei
Testosterone
Vocalization, Animal - physiology
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Summary:The high vocal center (HVC) controls song production in songbirds and sends a projection to the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA) of the descending vocal pathway. HVC receives new neurons in adulthood. Most of the new neurons project to RA and replace other neurons of the same kind. We show here that singing enhances mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the HVC of adult male canaries, Serinus canaria. The increased BDNF expression is proportional to the number of songs produced per unit time. Singing-induced BDNF expression in HVC occurs mainly in the RA-projecting neurons. Neuronal survival was compared among birds that did or did not sing during days 31-38 after BrdUrd injection. Survival of new HVC neurons is greater in the singing birds than in the nonsinging birds. A positive causal link between pathway use, neurotrophin expression, and new neuron survival may be common among systems that recruit new neurons in adulthood.
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To whom reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: nottebo@rockvax.rockefeller.edu.
Contributed by Fernando Nottebohm
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.140222497