Role of the midbrain dopaminergic system in modulation of vocal brain activation by social context.

Full Abstract

In a well-studied model of social behaviour, male zebra finches sing directed song to court females and undirected song, used possibly for practice or advertisement. Although the two song types are similar, the level of neural activity and expression of the immediate early gene egr-1 are higher during undirected than during directed singing in the lateral part of the basal ganglia song nucleus AreaX (LAreaX) and its efferent pallial song nuclei lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN) and the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA). As social interactions are dependent on brain motivation systems, here we test the hypothesis that the midbrain ventral tegmental area-substantia nigra pars compacta (VTA-SNc) complex, which provides a strong dopaminergic input to LAreaX, is a source of this modulation. Using egr-1 expression, we show that GABAergic interneurons in VTA-SNc are more active during directed courtship singing than during undirected singing. We also found that unilateral removal of VTA-SNc input reduced singing-dependent gene expression in ipsilateral LAreaX during both social contexts but it did not eliminate social context differences in LAreaX. In contrast, such lesions reduced and eliminated the social context differences in efferent nuclei LMAN and RA, respectively. These results suggest that VTA-SNc is not solely responsible for the social context gene regulation in LAreaX, but that VTA-SNc input to LAreaX enhances the singing-regulated gene expression in this nucleus and, either through LAreaX or through direct projections to LMAN and RA, VTA-SNc is necessary for context-dependent gene regulation in these efferent nuclei.

Author information

Author/s: Hara, Erina (E); Kubikova, Lubica (L); Hessler, Neal A (NA); Jarvis, Erich D (ED);

Affiliation: Laboratory for Vocal Behaviour Mechanisms, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan.

Grants: DP1 OD000448-01 (Agency:NCCDPHP CDC HHS) ; R01 MH062083-01A2 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH062083-02 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH062083-03 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01MH62083 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The European journal of neuroscience (Eur J Neurosci), published in France. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jun; vol 25 (issue 11) : pp 3406-16

Dates: Created 2007/06/07; Completed 2007/08/15; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17553009, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adrenergic Agents - pharmacology
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Dopamine - metabolism
Early Growth Response Protein 1 - genetics; metabolism
Finches
Functional Laterality
Gene Expression Regulation - physiology
High Vocal Center - cytology; drug effects; injuries; physiology
Immunohistochemistry - methods

In Situ Hybridization - methods
Male
Mesencephalon - drug effects; physiology
Neural Pathways - physiology
Neurons - metabolism
Oxidopamine - pharmacology
Social Behavior
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase - metabolism
Vocalization, Animal - drug effects
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - metabolism

Associated Chemicals: Adrenergic Agents (0) ; Early Growth Response Protein 1 (0) ; Oxidopamine (1199-18-4) ; Dopamine (51-61-6) ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (56-12-2) ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase (EC 1.14.16.2)

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