Studying the Mechanisms of Developmental Vocal Learning and Adult Vocal Performance in Zebra Finches through Lentiviral Injection

Authors

Zhimin Shi, Louisiana State University
Ofer Tchernichovski, CUNY Hunter CollegeFollow
XiaoChing Li, Louisiana State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2017

Abstract

Here we provide a detailed step-by-step protocol for using lentivirus to manipulate miRNA expression in Area X of juvenile zebra finches and for analyzing the consequences on song learning and song performance. This protocol has four parts: 1) making the lentiviral construct to overexpress miRNA miR-9; 2) packaging the lentiviral vector; 3) stereotaxic injection of the lentivirus into Area X of juvenile zebra finches; 4) analysis of song learning and song performance in juvenile and adult zebra finches. These methods complement the methods employed in recent works that showed changing FoxP2 gene expression in Area X with lentivirus or adeno-associated virus leads to impairments in song behavior.

Comments

This article was published in Bio-protocol, available at DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3006.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).