Sex-dependent Structural Asymmetry of the Medial Habenular Nucleus of the Chicken Brain

Overview

Journal Cell Tissue Res

Specialties Anatomy & Histology
Cell Biology

Date 1985 Jan 1

PMID 3995537

Citations 12

Authors

C J Gurusinghe

D Ehrlich

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An investigation of structural asymmetry in the avian brain was conducted on the epithalamic medial habenular nucleus of the chicken. Twelve male and ten female two-day-old chickens were used for a morphometric evaluation of asymmetry. The medial habenular nucleus was measured from paraffin-wax-embedded, 8 micron-thick sections by use of a semiautomatic image analyser. The volumes of the right and left medial habenula of each animal were statistically analysed ('within animal experimental design'). The right medial habenula in males showed significant group asymmetry. In contrast, females failed to demonstrate group bias in favour of either hemisphere. However, individual females were lateralised, with either a larger right or left medial habenula. Although individuals of both sexes were lateralised, there was no significant sex difference in volume in either the right or left medial habenula. We propose that sex-linked structural asymmetry may be influenced by steroid hormonal effects in the central nervous system, and that such asymmetry could be more prevalent in the non-mammalian vertebrate brain than previously considered.

Citing Articles

Traditional sexing methods and external egg characteristics combination allow highly accurate early sex determination in an endangered native turkey breed.

Salgado Pardo J, Gonzalez F, Ariza A, Arando Arbulu A, Leon Jurado J, Delgado Bermejo J Front Vet Sci. 2022; 9:948502.

PMID: 36046507 PMC: 9420986. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.948502.

Sexual Dimorphism for Coping Styles Complements Traditional Methods for Sex Determination in a Multivariety Endangered Hen Breed.

Pastrana C, Gonzalez F, Marin Navas C, Arbulu A, Ariza A, Jurado J Animals (Basel). 2019; 9(12).

PMID: 31861237 PMC: 6941311. DOI: 10.3390/ani9121165.

Development and connectivity of the habenular nuclei.

Roberson S, Halpern M Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2017; 78:107-115.

PMID: 29107475 PMC: 5920772. DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.10.007.

The Lateral Habenula and Adaptive Behaviors.

Mizumori S, Baker P Trends Neurosci. 2017; 40(8):481-493.

PMID: 28688871 PMC: 11568516. DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.06.001.

Hippocampal asymmetry: differences in structures and functions.

Hou G, Yang X, Yuan T Neurochem Res. 2013; 38(3):453-60.

PMID: 23283696 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-012-0954-3.

References

Nottebohm F, Arnold A . Sexual dimorphism in vocal control areas of the songbird brain. Science. 1976; 194(4261):211-3. DOI: 10.1126/science.959852. View

Arnold A, Gorski R . Gonadal steroid induction of structural sex differences in the central nervous system. Annu Rev Neurosci. 1984; 7:413-42. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ne.07.030184.002213. View

Modianos D, HITT J, Flexman J . Habenular lesions produce decrements in feminine, but not masculine, sexual behavior in rats. Behav Biol. 1974; 10(1):75-87. DOI: 10.1016/s0091-6773(74)91684-8. View

Barfield R, RONAY G, Pfaff D . Autoradiographic localization of androgen-concentrating cells in the brain of the male domestic fowl. Neuroendocrinology. 1978; 26(5):297-11. DOI: 10.1159/000122785. View

Braitenberg V, Kemali M . Exceptions to bilateral symmetry in the epithalamus of lower vertebrates. J Comp Neurol. 1970; 138(2):137-46. DOI: 10.1002/cne.901380203. View

Sutherland R . The dorsal diencephalic conduction system: a review of the anatomy and functions of the habenular complex. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 1982; 6(1):1-13. DOI: 10.1016/0149-7634(82)90003-3. View

Pfaff D . Autoradiographic localization of radioactivity in rat brain after injection of tritiated sex hormones. Science. 1968; 161(3848):1355-6. DOI: 10.1126/science.161.3848.1355. View

Walker S . Lateralization of functions in the vertebrate brain: a review. Br J Psychol. 1980; 71(3):329-67. DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1980.tb01750.x. View

Diamond M, Johnson R, Young D, Singh S . Age-related morphologic differences in the rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus: male-female; right-left. Exp Neurol. 1983; 81(1):1-13. DOI: 10.1016/0014-4886(83)90153-x. View

10.

Van Eden C, Uylings H, van Pelt J . Sex-difference and left-right asymmetries in the prefrontal cortex during postnatal development in the rat. Brain Res. 1984; 314(1):146-53. DOI: 10.1016/0165-3806(84)90186-x. View

11.

Engbretson G, Reiner A, Brecha N . Habenular asymmetry and the central connections of the parietal eye of the lizard. J Comp Neurol. 1981; 198(1):155-65. DOI: 10.1002/cne.901980113. View

12.

Nordeen E, Yahr P . Hemispheric asymmetries in the behavioral and hormonal effects of sexually differentiating mammalian brain. Science. 1982; 218(4570):391-4. DOI: 10.1126/science.7123240. View

13.

Stewart M, Rose S, King T, Gabbott P, Bourne R . Hemispheric asymmetry of synapses in chick medial hyperstriatum ventrale following passive avoidance training: a stereological investigation. Brain Res. 1984; 314(2):261-9. DOI: 10.1016/0165-3806(84)90048-8. View

14.

Rosen G, Berrebi A, YUTZEY D, Denenberg V . Prenatal testosterone causes shift of asymmetry in neonatal tail posture of the rat. Brain Res. 1983; 285(1):99-101. DOI: 10.1016/0165-3806(83)90114-1. View

15.

Zappia J, Rogers L . Light experience during development affects asymmetry of forebrain function in chickens. Brain Res. 1983; 313(1):93-106. DOI: 10.1016/0165-3806(83)90204-3. View

16.

Greenspon J, Stein D . Functional asymmetry of the songbird brain: effects of testosterone on song control in adult female canaries (Serinus canarius). Neurosci Lett. 1983; 41(1-2):125-31. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3940(83)90234-3. View