Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts
Background The connection between testosterone and territoriality in free-living songbirds has been well studied in a reproductive context, but less so outside the breeding season. To assess the effects of seasonal androgenic action on territorial behavior, we analyzed vocal and non-vocal territorial behavior in response to simulated territorial intrusions (STIs) during three life-cycle stages in free-living male black redstarts: breeding, molt and nonbreeding. Concurrently, we measured changes in circulating testosterone levels, as well as the mRNA expression of androgen and estrogen receptors and aromatase in the preoptic, hypothalamic and song control brain areas that are associated with social and vocal behaviors. Results Territorial behavior and estrogen receptor expression in hypothalamic areas did not differ between stages. But plasma testosterone was higher during breeding than during the other stages, similar to androgen receptor and aromatase expression in the preoptic area. The expression of androgen receptors in the song control nucleus HVC was lower during molt when birds do not sing or sing rarely, but similar between the breeding and the nonbreeding stage. Nevertheless, some song spectral features and the song repertoire differed between breeding and nonbreeding. Territorial behavior and song rate correlated with the expression of steroid receptors in hypothalamic areas, and in the song control nucleus lMAN. Conclusions Our results demonstrate seasonal modulation of song, circulating testosterone levels, and brain sensitivity to androgens, but a year-round persistency of territorial behavior and estrogen receptor expression in all life-cycle stages. This suggests that seasonal variations in circulating testosterone concentrations and brain sensitivity to androgens is widely uncoupled from territorial behavior and song activity but might still affect song pattern. Our study contributes to the understanding of the complex comparative neuroendocrinology of song birds in the wild.
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Format: | Artículo de revista biblioteca |
Language: | English |
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BMC
2021
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Subjects: | Sexual hormones, Phoenicurus ochruros, Brain receptors, Hypothalamus, Song control system, Aggressive behavior, Seasonality, Individual variation, mRNA expression, In situ hybridization, |
Online Access: | https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/182811 |
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dig-uchile-cl-2250-1828112021-11-23T11:19:34Z Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts Villavicencio, Camila P. Windley, Harriet D’Amelio, Pietro B. Gahr, Manfred Goymann, Wolfgang Quispe, René Sexual hormones Phoenicurus ochruros Brain receptors Hypothalamus Song control system Aggressive behavior Seasonality Individual variation mRNA expression In situ hybridization Background The connection between testosterone and territoriality in free-living songbirds has been well studied in a reproductive context, but less so outside the breeding season. To assess the effects of seasonal androgenic action on territorial behavior, we analyzed vocal and non-vocal territorial behavior in response to simulated territorial intrusions (STIs) during three life-cycle stages in free-living male black redstarts: breeding, molt and nonbreeding. Concurrently, we measured changes in circulating testosterone levels, as well as the mRNA expression of androgen and estrogen receptors and aromatase in the preoptic, hypothalamic and song control brain areas that are associated with social and vocal behaviors. Results Territorial behavior and estrogen receptor expression in hypothalamic areas did not differ between stages. But plasma testosterone was higher during breeding than during the other stages, similar to androgen receptor and aromatase expression in the preoptic area. The expression of androgen receptors in the song control nucleus HVC was lower during molt when birds do not sing or sing rarely, but similar between the breeding and the nonbreeding stage. Nevertheless, some song spectral features and the song repertoire differed between breeding and nonbreeding. Territorial behavior and song rate correlated with the expression of steroid receptors in hypothalamic areas, and in the song control nucleus lMAN. Conclusions Our results demonstrate seasonal modulation of song, circulating testosterone levels, and brain sensitivity to androgens, but a year-round persistency of territorial behavior and estrogen receptor expression in all life-cycle stages. This suggests that seasonal variations in circulating testosterone concentrations and brain sensitivity to androgens is widely uncoupled from territorial behavior and song activity but might still affect song pattern. Our study contributes to the understanding of the complex comparative neuroendocrinology of song birds in the wild. Max Planck Society Becas Chile Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) CONICYT FONDECYT 3160679 3170936 Projekt DEAL Versión publicada - versión final del editor 2021-11-23T11:19:34Z 2021-11-23T11:19:34Z 2021 Artículo de revista Frontiers in Zoology (2021) 18:8 10.1186/s12983-021-00389-x https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/182811 en Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ application/pdf BMC Frontiers in Zoology |
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Sexual hormones Phoenicurus ochruros Brain receptors Hypothalamus Song control system Aggressive behavior Seasonality Individual variation mRNA expression In situ hybridization Sexual hormones Phoenicurus ochruros Brain receptors Hypothalamus Song control system Aggressive behavior Seasonality Individual variation mRNA expression In situ hybridization |
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Sexual hormones Phoenicurus ochruros Brain receptors Hypothalamus Song control system Aggressive behavior Seasonality Individual variation mRNA expression In situ hybridization Sexual hormones Phoenicurus ochruros Brain receptors Hypothalamus Song control system Aggressive behavior Seasonality Individual variation mRNA expression In situ hybridization Villavicencio, Camila P. Windley, Harriet D’Amelio, Pietro B. Gahr, Manfred Goymann, Wolfgang Quispe, René Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
description |
Background The connection between testosterone and territoriality in free-living songbirds has been well studied in a reproductive context, but less so outside the breeding season. To assess the effects of seasonal androgenic action on territorial behavior, we analyzed vocal and non-vocal territorial behavior in response to simulated territorial intrusions (STIs) during three life-cycle stages in free-living male black redstarts: breeding, molt and nonbreeding. Concurrently, we measured changes in circulating testosterone levels, as well as the mRNA expression of androgen and estrogen receptors and aromatase in the preoptic, hypothalamic and song control brain areas that are associated with social and vocal behaviors. Results Territorial behavior and estrogen receptor expression in hypothalamic areas did not differ between stages. But plasma testosterone was higher during breeding than during the other stages, similar to androgen receptor and aromatase expression in the preoptic area. The expression of androgen receptors in the song control nucleus HVC was lower during molt when birds do not sing or sing rarely, but similar between the breeding and the nonbreeding stage. Nevertheless, some song spectral features and the song repertoire differed between breeding and nonbreeding. Territorial behavior and song rate correlated with the expression of steroid receptors in hypothalamic areas, and in the song control nucleus lMAN. Conclusions Our results demonstrate seasonal modulation of song, circulating testosterone levels, and brain sensitivity to androgens, but a year-round persistency of territorial behavior and estrogen receptor expression in all life-cycle stages. This suggests that seasonal variations in circulating testosterone concentrations and brain sensitivity to androgens is widely uncoupled from territorial behavior and song activity but might still affect song pattern. Our study contributes to the understanding of the complex comparative neuroendocrinology of song birds in the wild. |
format |
Artículo de revista |
topic_facet |
Sexual hormones Phoenicurus ochruros Brain receptors Hypothalamus Song control system Aggressive behavior Seasonality Individual variation mRNA expression In situ hybridization |
author |
Villavicencio, Camila P. Windley, Harriet D’Amelio, Pietro B. Gahr, Manfred Goymann, Wolfgang Quispe, René |
author_facet |
Villavicencio, Camila P. Windley, Harriet D’Amelio, Pietro B. Gahr, Manfred Goymann, Wolfgang Quispe, René |
author_sort |
Villavicencio, Camila P. |
title |
Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
title_short |
Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
title_full |
Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
title_fullStr |
Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
title_full_unstemmed |
Neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
title_sort |
neuroendocrine patterns underlying seasonal song and year-round territoriality in male black redstarts |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/182811 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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1766396118208348160 |