Seasonal Changes in Courtship Song and the Medial Preoptic Area in Male European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Riters, Lauren V.; Eens, Marcel; Pinxten, Rianne; Duffy, Deborah L.; Balthazart, Jacques; Ball, Gregory F.

doi:10.1006/hbeh.2000.1623

Cited by 180 publications

(248 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Previously, we showed that hormone treatments which stimulated high rates of courtship singing and copulation attempts significantly increased DA levels and turnover in the MPOA in male finches [11,12]. In European starlings, the size of the medial preoptic nucleus was positively related to rates of courtship singing and the length of song bouts directed at females [38]. In this species, lesioning the medial preoptic nucleus significantly reduced courtship singing without affecting nestbox occupancy or the tendency to associate with females [3].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Dopaminergic modulation of reproductive behavior and activity in male zebra finches

Rauceo

Harding

Maldonado

et al. 2008

Behavioural Brain Research

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We previously demonstrated that hormone treatments which stimulate female-directed singing increased levels and turnover of dopamine (DA) in brain areas controlling the motor patterning of song. To help determine how DA affects singing, we quantified the effects of treating adult male finches with the D 1 /D 2 receptor antagonist cis-flupenthixol. Adult males were given subcutaneous silastic implants of androgen, in case drug treatment interfered with androgen secretion. One week later, they were tested with females. Males were divided into three groups matched for levels of courtship singing. Males were then subcutaneously implanted with osmotic minipumps containing either saline, a low, or a high dose of cis-flupenthixol. Each male was tested with a different female 5 and 10 days after implantation to determine how this D 1 /D 2 receptor antagonist affected behavior. Both drug doses affected female-directed singing 5 days after initiation of treatment. High-dose males sang to females significantly less often than males in the other two groups. Low-dose males showed fewer high-intensity courtship displays in which males dance towards females as they sing. These effects on courtship singing were not seen at day 10, though other behavioral effects were seen at this time. Male beak wipes, rocks, following females and female withdrawals from males were also affected by drug treatment. General activity in the home cage was decreased by day 11. These data demonstrate that singing and several other female-directed behaviors are sensitive to perturbations in DA receptor function.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Dopaminergic modulation of reproductive behavior and activity in male zebra finches

Rauceo

Harding

Maldonado

et al. 2008

Behavioural Brain Research

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“…This treatment should minimize differences in T concentrations across males; however it is possible that T from remnants or extra-gonadal sources of T (e.g., steroid hormone precursors from the adrenal glands, which can be converted into T (Soma & Wingfield, 2001) might result in nonuniform T concentrations in the males. Thus it is possible that POM lesions could produce variation in levels of singing indirectly by influencing concentrations of T. However, this appears to be unlikely given that the relationship between T and singing in starlings has not been found to be linear (Buchanan, Spencer, Goldsmith, & Catchpole, 2003;Duffy & Ball, 2002;Riters et al, 2000). Rather, the data suggest that song production increases once a threshold concentration of T is reached, a relationship consistent with T effects on other reproductive behaviors (e.g., Damassa, Smith, Tennet, & Davidson, 1977).…”

Section: Testosterone Effects On Song Rate?mentioning

confidence: 71%

“…In songbirds, a growing body of data implicates the medial preoptic nucleus (POM) in sexually-motivated song (Heimovics & Riters, 2005;Riters & Ball, 1999;Riters et al, 2000;Riters, Teague, Schroeder, & Cummings, 2004). The POM in male European starlings is largest and has the most dense aromatase (an enzyme that converts T into estrogen) immunostaining during the breeding season.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesions to the medial preoptic nucleus differentially affect singing and nest box-directed behaviors within and outside of the breeding season in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Alger

Riters

2006

Behavioral Neuroscience

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Little is known about how the brain regulates context appropriate communication. European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are seasonally-breeding songbirds that produce song in various social contexts. During the breeding season, males that acquire nest sites sing high levels of sexually-motivated song in response to a female. Outside of this context, however, song rates are not affected by female presence. The medial preoptic nucleus (POM) is a region outside of the song control system that regulates male sexual behavior, and several studies in songbirds implicate the POM in sexuallymotivated song. However, recent data suggest that the role of the POM might extend to song produced in other contexts as well. To examine this possibility, effects of bilateral electrolytic lesions of the POM on singing and other behaviors in adult male starlings within sexually relevant and non-sexual contexts in response to various social stimuli were examined. Lesions to the POM exclusively reduced song and nest box-directed behaviors within highly sexually relevant contexts. Unexpectedly, POM lesions increased song in a non-sexual context, suggesting an inhibitory role for the POM in this context. These data suggest that the POM interacts with the song control system so that song occurs in an appropriate social context in response to appropriate stimuli.

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“…In many temperate bird species behavior, hormones, brain sex steroid receptors, and brain enzymes are temporally linked and elevated at the same time of year (Soma et al, 1999b(Soma et al, , 2003Riters et al, 2000Riters et al, , 2001. In contrast, in spotted antbirds the mRNA expression of AR, ER , and AROM appears to be at least partly independent of circulating T concentrations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2), suggesting that in this brain area AROM does not undergo seasonal regulation. In most temperate birds, however, AROM activity or mRNA expression is positively correlated with seasonal variations in the display of sexual behaviors (in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, pied flycatchers, Ficedula hypoleuca, and Lapland longspurs, Calcaricus lapponicus; Foidart et al, 1998;Soma et al, 1999b;Riters et al, 2000Riters et al, , 2001Silverin et al, 2000). In Western song sparrows, AROM activity is also higher during the breeding season as compared to different periods of the nonbreeding season, even though these birds are aggressive in both seasons (Soma et al, 2003).…”

Section: Ar Era and Arom Expression In Pommentioning

confidence: 99%

Low sex steroids, high steroid receptors: Increasing the sensitivity of the nonreproductive brain

Canoine

Fusani

Schlinger

et al. 2006

Developmental Neurobiology

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Male aggressive behavior is generally regulated by testosterone (T). In most temperate breeding males, aggressive behavior is only expressed during the reproductive period. At this time circulating T concentrations, brain steroid receptors, and steroid metabolic enzymes are elevated in many species relative to the nonreproductive period. Many tropical birds, however, display aggressive behavior both during the breeding and the nonbreeding season, but plasma levels of T can remain low throughout the year and show little seasonal fluctuation. Studies on the year-round territorial spotted antbird (Hylophylax n. naevioides) suggest that T nevertheless regulates aggressive behavior in both the breeding and nonbreeding season. We hypothesize that to regulate aggressive behaviors during the nonbreeding season, when T is at its minimum, male spotted antbirds increase brain sensitivity to steroids. This can be achieved by locally up-regulating androgen receptors (ARs), estrogen receptors (ERs), or the enzyme aromatase (AROM) that converts T into estradiol. We therefore compared mRNA expression of AR, ERa, and AROM in freeliving male spotted antbirds across reproductive and nonreproductive seasons in two brain regions known to regulate both reproductive and aggressive behaviors. mRNA expression of ER in the preoptic area and AR in the nucleus taeniae were elevated in male spotted antbirds during the nonbreeding season when circulating T concentrations were low. This unusual seasonal receptor regulation may represent a means for the year-round regulation of vertebrate aggressive behavior via steroids by increasing the brain's sensitivity to sex steroids during the nonbreeding season.

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Seasonal Changes in Courtship Song and the Medial Preoptic Area in Male European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Cited by 180 publications

References 64 publications

Dopaminergic modulation of reproductive behavior and activity in male zebra finches

Dopaminergic modulation of reproductive behavior and activity in male zebra finches

Lesions to the medial preoptic nucleus differentially affect singing and nest box-directed behaviors within and outside of the breeding season in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Low sex steroids, high steroid receptors: Increasing the sensitivity of the nonreproductive brain

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