Long-term plasticity of HVC-RA synapses in adult male zebra finches.
- Author:
Feng-Ling LI
1
;
Dong-Feng LI
Author Information
1. School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Higher Education of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510631, China. dfliswx@126.com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Animals;
Evoked Potentials, Auditory;
Finches;
physiology;
High Vocal Center;
physiology;
Learning;
Male;
Neuronal Plasticity;
Synapses;
physiology
- From:
Acta Physiologica Sinica
2013;65(6):586-592
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Long-term synaptic plasticity is considered as a key part of the neural mechanism of learning and memory. The production of learned vocalization of male zebra finches is closely related to high vocal center (HVC)-robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) pathway. However, the long-term plasticity of HVC-RA synapses is unclear. This study investigated the long-term plasticity of HVC-RA synapses in adult male zebra finches through in vivo field potential recording. The results showed that physiologic stimulation, i.e., δ rhythmic stimulation and low frequency stimulation could not effectively induce long-term synaptic plasticity. The former leaded to no change of the amplitudes of evoked population spikes, and the latter induced short-term depression (STD) of the amplitudes of the second evoked population spikes caused by paired pulses. But high frequency stimulation induced long-term depression (LTD) of the amplitudes of evoked population spikes to show out long-term synaptic plasticity. These results suggest that LTD represents the long-term plasticity of HVC-RA synapses in adult male zebra finches, which may be a key part of the neural mechanism of vocal learning and memory and can explain the plasticity of adult song to some degree.
