Lesions in a songbird vocal circuit increase variability in song syntax

Author:

Koparkar Avani1ORCID,Warren Timothy L23ORCID,Charlesworth Jonathan D2ORCID,Shin Sooyoon2ORCID,Brainard Michael S2ORCID,Veit Lena1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Neurobiology of Vocal Communication, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen

2. Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco

3. Departments of Horticulture and Integrative Biology, Oregon State University

Abstract

Complex skills like speech and dance are composed of ordered sequences of simpler elements, but the neuronal basis for the syntactic ordering of actions is poorly understood. Birdsong is a learned vocal behavior composed of syntactically ordered syllables, controlled in part by the songbird premotor nucleus HVC (proper name). Here, we test whether one of HVC’s recurrent inputs, mMAN (medial magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), contributes to sequencing in adult male Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata domestica). Bengalese finch song includes several patterns: (1) chunks, comprising stereotyped syllable sequences; (2) branch points, where a given syllable can be followed probabilistically by multiple syllables; and (3) repeat phrases, where individual syllables are repeated variable numbers of times. We found that following bilateral lesions of mMAN, acoustic structure of syllables remained largely intact, but sequencing became more variable, as evidenced by ‘breaks’ in previously stereotyped chunks, increased uncertainty at branch points, and increased variability in repeat numbers. Our results show that mMAN contributes to the variable sequencing of vocal elements in Bengalese finch song and demonstrate the influence of recurrent projections to HVC. Furthermore, they highlight the utility of species with complex syntax in investigating neuronal control of ordered sequences.

Funder

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Life Sciences Research Foundation

Daimler Benz Postdoctoral Fellowship

Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Publisher

eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

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