Neural endocannabinoid CB1 receptor expression, social status, and behavior in male European starlings.

ABSTRACT: Many species modify behavior in response to changes in resource availability or social status; however, the neural mechanisms underlying these modifications are not well understood. Prior work in male starlings demonstrates that status-appropriate changes in behavior involve brain regions that regulate social behavior and vocal production. Endocannabinoids are ubiquitously distributed neuromodulators that are proposed to play a role in adjusting behavior to match social status. As an initial step to provide insight into this hypothesis we observed flocks of male starlings in outdoor aviaries during the breeding season. We used quantitative real-time PCR to measure expression of endocannabinoid CB1 receptors in brain regions involved in social behavior and motivation (lateral septum [LS], v

SUBMITTER: DeVries MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4904780 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature