Immediate early genes and vocal learning and memory in songbirds
- VernacularTitle:鸣禽发声学习记忆与即刻早期基因
- Author:
Jing ZHAO
;
Dongfeng LI
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research
2005;9(40):174-176
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: As demonstrated by recent reports, immediate early genes (IEGs) are rapidly induced and expressed when a songbird is stimulated either by bird-song or by its vocal-behavior. The expression area and level of IEGs in the brain, such as zenk, c-fos and c-jun, are corresponding to where and how the neurons are related as a songbird is stimulated, suggesting that IEGs play important roles in vocal learning and memory.OBJECTIVE: To study the relation between vocal learning of songbird and immediate early gene so as to understand the mechanism of human language and the control of central nervous system.DATA SOURCES: All papers were cited from MEDLINE with the keywords of "songbird, vocal learning, memory, zenk, c-fos and c-jun" in English between January 1990 and December 2001. Meanwhile, we searched the Chinese journals full-text database and Wanfang database with the same keywords in Chinese between January 1990 and November 2001 were also searched.STUDY SELECTION: The papers about immediate early genes and vocal learning and memory in songbirds were selected. Then non-randomly controlled studies were excluded, and the rest full-text papers were looked up.DATA EXTRACTION: Totally 17 papers about immediate early genes and vocal learning and memory in songbirds were found. We choose 11 papers in them and 6 was excluded because of summarization.DATA SYNTHESIS: ① zenk and vocal behavior: Expression of zenk in bird's brain can affect learning and memory through adjusting synthesis of special protein. ② Reaction of c-fos to various songs: The reaction of local neurons in bird's brain to the birdsongs are made by the decision of the numbers of song factor in learning songs. ③ Associations of c-jun and cfos: zenk, fos and jun are the necessaries for maintaining long-term memory, which produce a marked effect through signal transduction, reconstruction, synthesis and transduction of induced synapse.CONCLUSION: Immediate early genes (IEGs) are rapidly induced and expressed when a songbird is stimulated either by bird-song or by its vocal-behavior. The expression area and level of IEGs in the brain, such as zenk, c-fos and c-jun, are corresponding to where and how the neurons are related as a songbird is stimulated, suggesting that IEGs play important roles in vocal learning and memory.
