Selectivity of Canary HVC Neurons for the Bird's Own Song: Modulation by Photoperiodic Conditions

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4847-04.2005
• Publication Date: 2005-05-18T18:28:49Z
• Authors: Catherine Del Negro; Katia Lehongre; Jean-Marc Edeline
• Keywords: Male; Canaries; Time Factors; [SDV.NEU.NB]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Neurobiology; Photoperiod; MESH: Acoustic Stimulation; MESH: Vocalization, Animal; MESH: Neurons; [SDV.NEU.PC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Psychology and behavior; Action Potentials; MESH: Photoperiod; MESH: Prosencephalon; MESH: Auditory Perception; MESH: Discrimination, Psychological; 03 medical and health sciences; Discrimination, Psychological; Prosencephalon; 0302 clinical medicine; MESH: Canaries; MESH: Analysis of Variance; MESH: Behavior, Animal; Animals; MESH: Animals; MESH: Action Potentials; Neurons; Analysis of Variance; [SDV.NEU.PC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Psychology and behavior; Behavior, Animal; MESH: Time Factors; [SDV.NEU.NB] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Neurobiology; [SDV.NEU.SC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Cognitive Sciences; MESH: Male; Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Perception; Vocalization, Animal; [SDV.NEU.SC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Cognitive Sciences

To what extent seasonal factors modify the neuronal functional properties within nuclei of avian song system remains an open question. In adult songbirds, neurons premotor nucleus HVC (used as a proper name) exhibit selective responses for bird's own (BOS). Here we examine whether, outside breeding season, when songs are less stereotyped, male canaries still respond selectively to BOS produced during this period. initial experiment, single-unit recordings ( n = 114) revealed that selectivity current was attenuated in males exposed short-day photoperiod (typical nonbreeding season) compared with found long-day photoperiod. conditions, 35% cells responded BOS, whereas only 12% did conditions; there were four times more d ′ > 1) than conditions. determine whether these effects consequence differences acoustic features between and songs, 72) recorded conditions tested both BOS. A low percentage exhibited or (11% each song). Responses putative interneurons (spike duration <0.4 ms) relay similarly by These results strongly suggest that, canary, rather being fixed property, moves along continuum peaks day length mimics