Synaptic mechanisms of learned vocal production in the zebra finch

斑胸草雀学习发声的突触机制

• 批准号: 201074667
• 负责人: Dr. Daniela Vallentin
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Neuroscience Institute
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Fellowships
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2010-12-31 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/201074667?language=en
• 关键词: Synaptic; mechanisms; learned; vocal; production

Disorders of speech and language are widespread, affecting nearly ten percent of the general population. However, our knowledge of the function and dysfunction of human speech is limited by our lack of understanding concerning the cellular interactions that enable vocal production. One may directly address circuit mechanisms underlying vocalization using the songbird, which produces vocal sequences with several important parallels to human speech. As with toddlers, juvenile zebra finches arrive at a crystallized, stereotyped and temporally precise vocalization only after extensive practice. The exact synaptic and circuit mechanisms for the precise vocalization production are unknown, but the songbird forebrain motor nucleus HVC (a motor cortex analog formerly known as the higher vocal center) plays an important role in the production of learned vocalizations. Lesions to HVC lead to aphasia (inability to sing), and a mild cooling of this structure slows the timing of the song, indicating that the HVC may be acting as an important `clock´ for the song control pathway. The aim of this project is to investigate the circuit mechanisms of the premotor sequences generated in that nucleus using an innovative new tool capable of performing intracellular recordings in freely moving, naturally singing zebra finches. This device will enable observations on an intracellular and synaptic level that are not possible with traditional extracellular recordings. A combination of intracellular recordings, stimulation and tracer studies will be performed to get a clear understanding of the underlying neuronal circuits.

言语和语言障碍很普遍，影响到近10%的总人口。然而，我们对人类语言功能和功能障碍的了解受到了限制，因为我们对能够产生声音的细胞相互作用缺乏了解。人们可以直接使用鸣禽来解决发声的电路机制，鸣禽产生的声音序列与人类语音有几个重要的相似之处。与幼儿一样，幼年斑胸草雀只有经过大量的练习才能达到一种结晶化的、刻板的和时间上精确的发声。精确发声的确切突触和电路机制尚不清楚，但鸣禽前脑运动核HVC（以前称为高级发声中心的运动皮质模拟物）在学习发声的产生中起着重要作用。HVC的损伤导致失语症（无法唱歌），并且该结构的轻度冷却减慢了歌曲的时间，表明HVC可能是歌曲控制途径的重要“时钟”。该项目的目的是研究在该核中产生的前运动序列的电路机制，使用一种创新的新工具，能够在自由移动，自然唱歌的斑胸草雀中进行细胞内记录。该设备将能够在细胞内和突触水平上进行观察，这是传统细胞外记录所无法实现的。将进行细胞内记录、刺激和示踪剂研究的组合，以清楚地了解潜在的神经元回路。