Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Has a Transsynaptic Trophic Effect on Neural Activity in an Adult Forebrain Circuit.

ABSTRACT: While hormone-driven plasticity in the adult brain is well studied, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are less well understood. One example of this is seasonal plasticity in the avian brain, where song nuclei exhibit hormonally driven changes in response to changing photoperiod and circulating sex steroid hormones. Hormone receptor activation in song nucleus HVC (proper name) elicits a robust change in activity in target nucleus RA (robust nucleus of the arcopallium), but the molecular signal responsible for this is unknown. This study addressed whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediates a transsynaptic effect from HVC to RA in male Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii). In situ hybridization confirmed an increase in B

SUBMITTER: Miller KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7002143 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature