Dissociating Mechanisms That Underlie Seasonal and Developmental Programs for the Neuroendocrine Control of Physiology in Birds.

Long-term programmed rheostatic changes in physiology are essential for animal fitness. Hypothalamic nuclei and the pituitary gland govern key developmental and seasonal transitions in reproduction. The aim of this study was to identify the molecular substrates that are common and unique to developmental and seasonal timing. Adult and juvenile quail were collected from reproductively mature and immature states, and key molecular targets were examined in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) and pituitary gland. qRT-PCR assays established deiodinase type 2 () and type 3 () expression in adults changed with photoperiod manipulations. However, and remain constitutively expressed in juveniles. Pituitary gland transcriptome analyses established that 340 transcripts were differentially expressed across seasonal photoperiod programs and 1,189 transcripts displayed age-dependent variation in expression. Prolactin () and follicle-stimulating hormone subunit beta () are molecular markers of seasonal programs and are significantly upregulated in long photoperiod conditions. Growth hormone expression was significantly upregulated in juvenile quail, regardless of photoperiodic condition. These findings indicate that a level of cell autonomy in the pituitary gland governs seasonal and developmental programs in physiology. Overall, this paper yields novel insights into the molecular mechanisms that govern developmental programs and adult brain plasticity.