Testosterone regulates birdsong in an anatomically specific manner

Alward, Beau A.; Rouse, Melvin L.; Balthazart, Jacques; Ball, Gregory F.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.09.013

Cited by 36 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…In line with previous work, our goal was to place each cannula near but not into HVC or RA (Meitzen et al, 2007;Alward et al, 2013Alward et al, , 2016c. Thus, implants were placed lateral to HVC and dorsolateral to RA.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…We know for example that the motivation to sing can be activated by T acting outside the song system in the medial preoptic nucleus (POM; Alward et al, 2013). However, song stimulated by T action only in the POM lacks stereotypy and the simultaneous implantation in HVC rescues the deficit (Alward et al, 2016c). A gap in our knowledge concerns what the specific effects of T are in two key forebrain song control nuclei that express AR, HVC, and robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA; Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Indeed, lesions in different parts of HVC lead to changes in neural activity in a highly topographical manner (Stauffer et al, 2012) and medial versus lateral portions of HVC regulate distinct features of song (Basista et al, 2014). This technique has been used previously in neuroendocrine studies and shown to be effective in delivering the compound of interest while avoiding damage to the nucleus of interest, which could lead to confounding effects (Meitzen et al, 2007;Alward et al, 2013Alward et al, , 2016c.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Birds were anesthetized using isoflurane gas (3-4%) and implanted subcutaneously with T-filled SILASTIC implants (Dow Corning; outside diameter ϭ 1.65 mm, inside diameter ϭ 0.76 mm; 12 mm in length filled with 10 mm of T, Sigma-Aldrich T-1500; RRID: CHEBI:17347) in the same fashion as in our previous studies (Alward et al, 2013(Alward et al, , 2016c. We implanted all birds with subcutaneous T given observations in our laboratory and others that some males sing at very low rates (Calder, 1970;Alward et al, 2016b) and that laboratory held males have lower plasma T concentrations than wild-caught individuals even when held on long days (Calder, 1970;Meitzen et al, 2007).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We used an identical implant procedure as in our previous work but performed bilateral instead of unilateral implants (Alward et al, 2013(Alward et al, , 2016c. Birds were bilaterally implanted with 27-gauge cannulae targeting HVC or RA filled with crystalline flutamide (Sigma-Aldrich, Flutamide F9397; RRID: CHEBI:5132) or left empty as a control.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dissociable Effects on Birdsong of Androgen Signaling in Cortex-Like Brain Regions of Canaries

2017

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The neural basis of how learned vocalizations change during development and in adulthood represents a major challenge facing cognitive neuroscience. This plasticity in the degree to which learned vocalizations can change in both humans and songbirds is linked to the actions of sex steroid hormones during ontogeny but also in adulthood in the context of seasonal changes in birdsong. We investigated the role of steroid hormone signaling in the brain on distinct features of birdsong using adult male canaries (Serinus canaria), which show extensive seasonal vocal plasticity as adults. Specifically, we bilaterally implanted the potent androgen receptor antagonist flutamide in two key brain regions that control birdsong. We show that androgen signaling in the motor cortical-like brain region, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), controls syllable and trill bandwidth stereotypy, while not significantly affecting higher order features of song such syllable-type usage (i.e., how many times each syllable type is used) or syllable sequences. In contrast, androgen signaling in the premotor cortical-like brain region, HVC (proper name), controls song variability by increasing the variability of syllable-type usage and syllable sequences, while having no effect on syllable or trill bandwidth stereotypy. Other aspects of song, such as the duration of trills and the number of syllables per song, were also differentially affected by androgen signaling in HVC versus RA. These results implicate androgens in regulating distinct features of complex motor output in a precise and nonredundant manner.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dissociable Effects on Birdsong of Androgen Signaling in Cortex-Like Brain Regions of Canaries

2017

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Evolution of the androgen-induced male phenotype

2017

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The masculine reproductive phenotype varies significantly across vertebrates. As a result, biologists have long recognized that many of the mechanisms that support these phenotypes-particularly the androgenic system-is evolutionarily labile, and thus susceptible to the effects of selection for different traits. However, exactly how androgenic signaling systems vary in a way which results in dramatically different functional outputs, remain largely unclear. We explore this topic here by outlining four key-but non-mutually exclusive-hypotheses that propose how the mechanisms of androgenic signaling might change over time to potentiate the emergence of phenotypical variation in masculine behavior and physiology. We anchor this framework in a review of our own studies of a tropical bird called the golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus), which has evolved an exaggerated acrobatic courtship display that is heavily androgen-dependent. The result is an example of how the cellular basis of androgenic action can be modified to support a unique reproductive repertoire. We end this review by highlighting a broad pathway forward to further pursue the intricate ways by which the mechanisms of hormone action evolve to support processes of adaptation and animal design.

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