Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
BMC Neurosci. 2012 Oct 19;13:126. doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-126.
Production of contextually appropriate social behaviors involves integrated activity across many brain regions. Many songbird species produce complex vocalizations called 'songs' that serve to attract potential mates, defend territories, and/or maintain flock cohesion. There are a series of discrete interconnect brain regions that are essential for the successful production of song. The probability and intensity of singing behavior is influenced by the reproductive state. The objectives of this study were to examine the broad changes in gene expression in brain regions that control song production with a brain region that governs the reproductive state.
We show using microarray cDNA analysis that two discrete brain systems that are both involved in governing singing behavior show markedly different gene expression profiles. We found that cortical and basal ganglia-like brain regions that control the socio-motor production of song in birds exhibit a categorical switch in gene expression that was dependent on their reproductive state. This pattern is in stark contrast to the pattern of expression observed in a hypothalamic brain region that governs the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. Subsequent gene ontology analysis revealed marked variation in the functional categories of active genes dependent on reproductive state and anatomical localization. HVC, one cortical-like structure, displayed significant gene expression changes associated with microtubule and neurofilament cytoskeleton organization, MAP kinase activity, and steroid hormone receptor complex activity. The transitions observed in the preoptic area, a nucleus that governs the motivation to engage in singing, exhibited variation in functional categories that included thyroid hormone receptor activity, epigenetic and angiogenetic processes.
These findings highlight the importance of considering the temporal patterns of gene expression across several brain regions when engaging in social behaviors.
产生语境适当的社会行为需要大脑多个区域的综合活动。许多鸣禽会发出复杂的叫声，称为“歌曲”，用于吸引潜在的配偶、保卫领地和/或维持鸟群的凝聚力。有一系列离散的相互连接的大脑区域对于成功产生歌曲至关重要。唱歌行为的概率和强度受到生殖状态的影响。本研究的目的是检查控制歌唱行为的大脑区域的广泛基因表达变化，以及控制生殖状态的大脑区域。
我们使用微阵列 cDNA 分析表明，两个不同的大脑系统都参与控制歌唱行为，它们表现出明显不同的基因表达谱。我们发现，控制鸟类社会运动产生歌曲的皮质和基底神经节样大脑区域表现出依赖于其生殖状态的基因表达的分类开关。这种模式与控制生殖内分泌控制的下丘脑区域观察到的表达模式形成鲜明对比。随后的基因本体分析揭示了依赖于生殖状态和解剖定位的活性基因的功能类别存在明显差异。HVC，一种皮质样结构，显示出与微管和神经丝细胞骨架组织、MAP 激酶活性和类固醇激素受体复合物活性相关的显著基因表达变化。控制歌唱动机的视前区观察到的转变表现出功能类别的变化，包括甲状腺激素受体活性、表观遗传和血管生成过程。
这些发现强调了在参与社会行为时考虑几个大脑区域的基因表达时间模式的重要性。
