Age and sex differences in mitotic activity within the zebra finch telencephalon

Brain regions associated with song learning in zebra finches are larger and contain more neurons in males than females. Differences in cell proliferation, migration, survival, and specification may all contribute to the divergent development of the song-control system in developing birds. This study quantified levels of cell proliferation within the telencephalic ventricular zone (VZ) of juvenile and adult birds to look for both age and sex differences in mitotic activity that might contribute to the construction of song-control circuits. A single pulse of [(3)H]thymidine was administered to juveniles and adults of both sexes, and animals were killed 2 hr later. Analysis of thymidine labeling within the telencephalic VZ at the levels of area X, the anterior commissure, and high vocal center (HVC) revealed two major findings: (1) levels of mitotic activity decreased as a function of age in both males and females because of a reduction in the number of dividing cells within the VZ, and (2) sex differences in thymidine labeling occurred in restricted, localized segments of the VZ at the levels of area X and the anterior commissure in juveniles but not adults. Thus, overall proliferative activity decreases as birds mature, and the incidence of cell division in all regions of the VZ becomes equivalent in both sexes, such that no regions of sexually dimorphic proliferation are evident by adulthood. These data suggest that regions of sexually dimorphic proliferation within the VZ may contain precursor cells that give rise to song-control neurons, such that higher rates of mitotic activity in juvenile males could contribute to the growth of song-control nuclei such as HVC and area X.