TY - JOUR
T1 - Female stimuli trigger gene expression in male pigeons
AU - Patton, Tadd
AU - Husband, Scott
AU - Shimizu, Toru
N1 - Funding Information:
Correspondence should be addressed to: Toru Shimizu, Department of Psychology, PCD 4118G, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-7200, USA. E-mail: shimizu@cas.usf.edu The authors are grateful to Justine VandenBosche for her histological assistance. This research was supported by an Established Researcher Grant from the University of South Florida and a research grant from the National Science Foundation to T. S. (IBN-0091869).
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The immediate early gene zenk encodes transcriptional regulators and is believed to be one of the first steps in the formation of long-term memories associated with a given stimulus. In this study, we investigated the expression of ZENK protein product in brain regions that are likely involved in the processing of social stimuli, such as a potential mate. Male pigeons (Columba livia) were exposed to one of the following: (1) a live female pigeon, (2) a video playback of a female pigeon, (3) a video playback of a female cockatoo, or (4) an empty stimulus chamber. The brains were then processed immunohistochemically using an antibody against ZENK protein. When the stimulus was a live pigeon compared to all other stimuli, there were more numerous and more darkly-stained ZENK-positive cells in three "association" regions of the telencephalon: the hyperpallium apicale, the lateral portion of the intermediate nidopallium, and the medial nidopallium. There were no significant differences among the video-playback stimuli. The results suggest that the level of ZENK expression in these "association" regions was influenced not only by the visual presence of a potential mate, but by the presence of non-visual signals, the quality of the image, and the real-time interaction with the stimulus.
AB - The immediate early gene zenk encodes transcriptional regulators and is believed to be one of the first steps in the formation of long-term memories associated with a given stimulus. In this study, we investigated the expression of ZENK protein product in brain regions that are likely involved in the processing of social stimuli, such as a potential mate. Male pigeons (Columba livia) were exposed to one of the following: (1) a live female pigeon, (2) a video playback of a female pigeon, (3) a video playback of a female cockatoo, or (4) an empty stimulus chamber. The brains were then processed immunohistochemically using an antibody against ZENK protein. When the stimulus was a live pigeon compared to all other stimuli, there were more numerous and more darkly-stained ZENK-positive cells in three "association" regions of the telencephalon: the hyperpallium apicale, the lateral portion of the intermediate nidopallium, and the medial nidopallium. There were no significant differences among the video-playback stimuli. The results suggest that the level of ZENK expression in these "association" regions was influenced not only by the visual presence of a potential mate, but by the presence of non-visual signals, the quality of the image, and the real-time interaction with the stimulus.
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U2 - 10.1080/17470910801936803
DO - 10.1080/17470910801936803
M3 - Article
C2 - 18633838
AN - SCOPUS:58049192962
SN - 1747-0919
VL - 4
SP - 28
EP - 39
JO - Social Neuroscience
JF - Social Neuroscience
IS - 1
ER -