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Parallel FoxP1 and FoxP2 expression in songbird and human brain predicts functional interaction
Ikuko Teramitsu1, Lili C Kudo, Sarah E London
1Interdepartmental Programs in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
Summary
Researchers found shared molecular mechanisms for vocal learning in humans and songbirds. Gene expression patterns for FoxP1 and FoxP2 in songbirds mirror those in human brains, suggesting a common evolutionary basis for speech and vocalization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Comparative Biology
Background:
- Vocal learning, the ability to modify innate vocalizations, is rare in animals, observed in humans and songbirds.
- The FOXP2 gene is linked to a human speech disorder (KE family), prompting investigation into shared molecular mechanisms for vocal learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether molecular mechanisms underlying vocal learning are conserved between humans and songbirds.
- To compare the expression patterns of FoxP1 and FoxP2 genes in songbirds and human brains.
Main Methods:
- In situ hybridization was used to analyze FoxP1 and FoxP2 gene expression in a songbird model.
- Expression patterns were compared between songbirds and human fetal brain samples.
Main Results:
- Songbird FoxP1 and FoxP2 exhibited a corticostriatal expression pattern similar to brain abnormalities in the KE family.
- Overlapping expression of FoxP1 and FoxP2 was observed in songbird vocal control structures.
- Human fetal brain showed similar FOXP1 and FOXP2 expression patterns to songbirds, including in sensorimotor integration areas.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest combinatorial regulation by FoxP1 and FoxP2 during neural development and vocal control.
- The conserved expression patterns indicate shared molecular underpinnings for vocal learning in humans and songbirds.
- Mutations in FOXP1 may also be implicated in speech disorders, similar to FOXP2.