Advertisement calls drive IEG mRNA expression in the auditory system of lizards
稿件作者:Y. TANG
通讯作者:Y. TANG
刊物名称:Washington,Nov 19,2008,Society for Neuroscience
发表年份:2008
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文章摘要:
Although most reptiles are silent , Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko L.) produce complicated call sequences to advertise their territory and attract mates . Auditory brainstem responses indicate that the most sensitive frequency (around 500Hz ) for this species matches the dominant frequency of their advertisement calls (Brittan-Powell et al.,2007). In order to study auditory processing further in the gecko , hindbrain and midbrain auditory nuclei were first delineated using the accumulation of a fluorescent deoxyglucose analog , 2-NBDG , in response to pure tones or broadband noise stimulation . In addition , two fragments of the immediate early genes (IEG) c-fos (GenBank #1059073) and zenk (GenBank #1059056) were cloned from the Tokay gecko to produce RNA probes . Gecko c-fos and zenk cDNAs were used to study the responsiveness of neurons in auditory nuclei to stimulation with species-typical calls . The fragments of Tokay c-fos and zenk show high similarities to homologous domains in anole (87% and 92%) c-fos and zenk cDNA , respectively and fewer similarities to homologous domains in other vertebrates . For auditory stimulation experiments geckos were isolated in a sound proof room overnight (>12h) and either sacrifices and perfused immediately after this period (controls) or exposed to a bi-note segment excerpted from an advertisement call (70 dB) for 15 min before being sacrificed and perfused immediately after stimulation . Digoxigenin-labeled antisense RNA probes were used to mark neurons expressing IEGs . Neurons exhibiting specific labeling were found in the auditory brainstem and midbrain as well as other regions . Zenk labeling was significantly increased in response to auditory stimulation within neurons of the central nucleus of the torus semicircularis the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus , the superior olicary nuclei and the first order nucleus angularis . c-Fos labeling also increased in these same regions in response to auditory stimulation . Thus IEG mapping may be used in the Tokay gecko to study responses to species typical stimulation.