Estrogen-inducible, sex-specific expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in a forebrain song control nucleus of the juvenile zebra finch

F. Dittrich, Y. Feng, R. Metzdorf, M. Gahr

    Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA is increased significantly within the high vocal center (HVc) of male but not female zebra finches from posthatching day 30-35 on. The population of HVc cells expressing BDNF mRNA included 35% of the neurons projecting to the nucleus robustus of the archistriatum (RA). In the RA and in RA-projecting neurons of the lateral portion of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum, BDNF mRNA was expressed at very low levels in both sexes. The BDNF-receptor trkB mRNA was expressed in the RA, in RA-projecting neurons of lateral portion of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum, and in the HVc, except in most of its RA-projecting neurons. Premature stimulation and an inhibitory effect on the normal increase of the BDNF mRNA expression in juvenile males occurred after treatments with 17β-estradiol and the aromatase inhibitor fadrozole, respectively. The up-regulation of the BDNF expression in the HVc could be a mechanism by which estrogen triggers the differentiation of cells within and connected to the HVc of male zebra finches.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)8241-8246
    Number of pages6
    JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
    Volume96
    Issue number14
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1999

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