Food for song: expression of c-Fos and ZENK in the zebra finch song nuclei during food aversion learning.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Specialized neural pathways, the song system, are required for acquiring, producing, and perceiving learned avian vocalizations. Birds that do not learn to produce their vocalizations lack telencephalic song system components. It is not known whether the song system forebrain regions are exclusively evolved for song or whether they also process information not related to song that might reflect their 'evolutionary history'.

Methodology/principal findings

To address this question we monitored the induction of two immediate-early genes (IEGs) c-Fos and ZENK in various regions of the song system in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in response to an aversive food learning paradigm; this involves the association of a food item with a noxious stimulus that affects th

SUBMITTER: Tokarev K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3112232 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature