FoxP2 isoforms delineate spatiotemporal transcriptional networks for vocal learning in the zebra finch

Abstract
Data availability
Article and author information
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Abstract

Human speech is one of the few examples of vocal learning among mammals yet ~half of avian species exhibit this ability. Its neurogenetic basis is largely unknown beyond a shared requirement for FoxP2 in both humans and zebra finches. We manipulated FoxP2 isoforms in Area X, a song-specific region of the avian striatopallidum analogous to human anterior striatum, during a critical period for song development. We delineate, for the first time, unique contributions of each isoform to vocal learning. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis of RNA-seq data revealed gene modules correlated to singing, learning, or vocal variability. Coexpression related to singing was found in juvenile and adult Area X whereas coexpression correlated to learning was unique to juveniles. The confluence of learning and singing coexpression in juvenile Area X may underscore molecular processes that drive vocal learning in young zebra finches and, by analogy, humans.

Data availability

The following data sets were generated

1. Burkett ZD
2. Day NF
3. Kimball TH
4. Aamodt CM
5. Heston JB
6. Hilliard AT
7. Xiao X
8. White SA
(2017) Weighted gene coexpression analysis of RNA-seq data from 65d juvenile Area X and adjacent non-song ventral striatopallidum (VSP).
Publicly available at the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (accession no: GSE96843).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE96843

The following previously published data sets were used

1. Hilliard AT
2. Miller JE
3. Fraley E
4. Horvath S
5. White SA
(2012) Weighted gene co-expression network analysis on microarray data from subregions of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) basal ganglia
Publicly available at the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (accession no: GSE34819).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE34819

Article and author information

Author details

Zachary Daniel Burkett

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

For correspondence
zburkett@ucla.edu

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-5153-485X
Nancy F Day

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Todd Haswell Kimball

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Caitlin M Aamodt

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Jonathan B Heston

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

"This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0001-7479-1122
Austin T Hilliard

Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Xinshu Xiao

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
Stephanie A White

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States

Competing interests
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Funding

National Institutes of Health (RO1MH07012)

Stephanie A White

National Institutes of Health (5T32HD007228)

Zachary Daniel Burkett

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Ethics

Animal experimentation: All animal use was in accordance with NIH guidelines for experiments involving vertebrate animals and approved by the University of California, Los Angeles Chancellor's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) under protocol (#2001-54). All surgical procedures were performed under isoflurane anesthetic.

Copyright

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.