Neurogenesis; Singing behavior; Song analysis; Song control system; Songbirds; Testosterone; Endocrinology; Endocrine and Autonomic Systems; Behavioral Neuroscience
Abstract :
[en] Temperate-zone birds display marked seasonal changes in reproductive behaviors and the underlying hormonal and neural mechanisms. These changes were extensively studied in canaries (Serinus canaria) but differ between strains. Fife fancy male canaries change their reproductive physiology in response to variations in day length but it remains unclear whether they become photorefractory (PR) when exposed to long days and what the consequences are for gonadal activity, singing behavior and the associated neural plasticity. Photosensitive (PS) male birds that had become reproductively competent (high song output, large testes) after being maintained on short days (SD, 8 L:16D) for 6 months were divided into two groups: control birds remained on SD (SD-PS group) and experimental birds were switched to long days (16 L:8D) and progressively developed photorefractoriness (LD-PR group). During the following 12 weeks, singing behavior (quantitatively analyzed for 3 × 2 hours every week) and gonadal size (repeatedly measured by CT X-ray scans) remained similar in both groups but there was an increase in plasma testosterone and trill numbers in the LD-PR group. Day length was then decreased back to 8 L:16D for LD-PR birds, which immediately induced a cessation of song, a decrease in plasma testosterone concentration, in the volume of song control nuclei (HVC, RA and Area X), in HVC neurogenesis and in aromatase expression in the medial preoptic area. These data demonstrate that Fife fancy canaries readily respond to changes in photoperiod and display a pattern of photorefractoriness following exposure to long days that is associated with marked changes in brain and behavior.
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Chiver, Ioana ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques
Ball, Gregory F; Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
LALLEMAND, François ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Service médical de radiothérapie
Vandries, Laura ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Plumier, Jérôme P; GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Belgium
Cornil, Charlotte ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Neuroendocrinology
Balthazart, Jacques ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques
Language :
English
Title :
Photoperiodic control of singing behavior and reproductive physiology in male Fife fancy canaries.
NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Funding text :
This work was supported by a Grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Grant RO1NS104008 ) to G.F.B., J.B., and C.A.C.. We thank Pr. Robert Dooling and Ed. Smith, department of Psychology, University of Maryland in College Park for providing the MATLAB script used to analyze canary song. C.A.C. is F.R.S.-FNRS Research Director.
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