Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb
Animal personalities are stable, context-dependent behavioral differences. Associations between the personality of birds and polymorphisms in the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene have been repeatedly observed. In mammals, our understanding of the role of the dopamine (DA) system in higher cognitive...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2025.1531200/full |
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| author | Toshiyuki Fujita Naoya Aoki Chihiro Mori Koichi J. Homma Shinji Yamaguchi |
| author_facet | Toshiyuki Fujita Naoya Aoki Chihiro Mori Koichi J. Homma Shinji Yamaguchi |
| author_sort | Toshiyuki Fujita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Animal personalities are stable, context-dependent behavioral differences. Associations between the personality of birds and polymorphisms in the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene have been repeatedly observed. In mammals, our understanding of the role of the dopamine (DA) system in higher cognitive functions and psychiatric disorders is improving, and we are beginning to understand the relationship between the neural circuits modulating the DA system and personality traits. However, to understand the phylogenetic continuity of the neural basis of personality, it is necessary to clarify the neural circuits that process personality in other animals and compare them with those in mammals. In birds, the DA system is anatomically and molecularly similar to that in mammals; however, the function of DRD4 remains largely unknown. In this study, we used chicks as model birds to reveal the expression regions of the DA neuron-related markers tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopa decarboxylase (DDC), dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), and DRD4, as well as other DRDs throughout the forebrain. We found that DRD4 was selectively expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb (OB). Furthermore, a detailed comparison of the expression regions of DA neurons and DRD4 in the OB revealed a cellular composition similar to that of mammals. Our findings suggest that the animal personality gene DRD4 is important for olfactory information processing in birds, providing a new basis for comparing candidate neural circuits for personality traits between birds and mammals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9764a221f15942edabcdce67b032ee3b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1662-5129 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-9764a221f15942edabcdce67b032ee3b2025-01-15T06:10:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroanatomy1662-51292025-01-011910.3389/fnana.2025.15312001531200Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulbToshiyuki Fujita0Naoya Aoki1Chihiro Mori2Koichi J. Homma3Shinji Yamaguchi4Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo, JapanAnimal personalities are stable, context-dependent behavioral differences. Associations between the personality of birds and polymorphisms in the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene have been repeatedly observed. In mammals, our understanding of the role of the dopamine (DA) system in higher cognitive functions and psychiatric disorders is improving, and we are beginning to understand the relationship between the neural circuits modulating the DA system and personality traits. However, to understand the phylogenetic continuity of the neural basis of personality, it is necessary to clarify the neural circuits that process personality in other animals and compare them with those in mammals. In birds, the DA system is anatomically and molecularly similar to that in mammals; however, the function of DRD4 remains largely unknown. In this study, we used chicks as model birds to reveal the expression regions of the DA neuron-related markers tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopa decarboxylase (DDC), dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), and DRD4, as well as other DRDs throughout the forebrain. We found that DRD4 was selectively expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb (OB). Furthermore, a detailed comparison of the expression regions of DA neurons and DRD4 in the OB revealed a cellular composition similar to that of mammals. Our findings suggest that the animal personality gene DRD4 is important for olfactory information processing in birds, providing a new basis for comparing candidate neural circuits for personality traits between birds and mammals.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2025.1531200/fullpersonality genedopamine receptordopamine neuronDRD4chickdopamine |
| spellingShingle | Toshiyuki Fujita Naoya Aoki Chihiro Mori Koichi J. Homma Shinji Yamaguchi Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb Frontiers in Neuroanatomy personality gene dopamine receptor dopamine neuron DRD4 chick dopamine |
| title | Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb |
| title_full | Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb |
| title_fullStr | Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb |
| title_short | Molecular characterization of chicken DA systems reveals that the avian personality gene, DRD4, is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb |
| title_sort | molecular characterization of chicken da systems reveals that the avian personality gene drd4 is expressed in the mitral cells of the olfactory bulb |
| topic | personality gene dopamine receptor dopamine neuron DRD4 chick dopamine |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2025.1531200/full |
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