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Endocannabinoids link feeding state and auditory perception-related gene expression
Ken Soderstrom1, Qiyu Tian, Marta Valenti
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27834, USA. soderstromk@mail.ecu.edu
Summary
Limited food availability in male zebra finches suppresses singing and alters brain endocannabinoid levels. This suggests a shared mechanism involving cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) signaling between feeding state and auditory perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroethology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Singing in male zebra finches is a learned behavior crucial for reproduction and social interactions.
- Both food restriction and cannabinoid administration inhibit singing, suggesting a potential shared regulatory pathway.
- Endocannabinoids are increasingly implicated in regulating feeding behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a shared neural mechanism linking feeding state and singing behavior in male zebra finches.
- To explore the role of endocannabinoid signaling in modulating auditory perception and song-related gene expression.
- To identify specific brain regions and receptors involved in this interaction.
Main Methods:
- Assessing the effects of food availability and cannabinoid manipulation on singing behavior.
- Measuring endocannabinoid levels (2-arachidonyl glycerol) in different brain regions.
- Developing and utilizing an antibody for cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) to map receptor distribution.
- Quantifying neural activity via ZENK expression in the caudal medial nidopallium (NCM) following song exposure and food restriction.
- Reversing food restriction effects using the CB1 antagonist SR141716A.
Main Results:
- Limited food availability reduced singing in a manner reversible by a cannabinoid antagonist.
- Food restriction increased endocannabinoid levels in brain regions including the caudal telencephalon.
- CB1 receptors were densely expressed in key song control nuclei (Area X, lMAN, HVC, RA) and auditory regions (L2, NCM).
- Food restriction mimicked the effects of cannabinoid exposure on song-stimulated ZENK expression in NCM.
- The reduction in NCM neural activity caused by food limitation was reversed by SR141716A.
Conclusions:
- Endocannabinoid signaling, particularly via CB1 receptors, mediates a link between the bird's feeding state and neural responses to auditory stimuli.
- This signaling pathway influences gene expression related to auditory perception in song control circuits.
- Findings reveal a novel integration of metabolic state and sensory processing in the avian brain.