Seasonal changes in frequency tuning and temporal processing in single neurons in the frog auditory midbrain.

摘要: Frogs rely on acoustic signaling to detect, discriminate, and localize mates. In the temperate zone, reproduction occurs in spring, when frogs emerge from hibernation engage acoustically guided behaviors. response species mating call, males typically show evoked vocal responses or other territorial behaviors, females phonotactic responses. Because of their strong seasonal behavior, it is possible that frog auditory system also displays variation, as evidenced control system. This hypothesis was tested male Northern leopard by evaluating characteristics single neurons torus semicircularis (TS; a homolog inferior colliculus) synthetic call at different times year. We found TS displayed change frequency tuning temporal properties. Frequency shifted predominance units sensitive intermediate frequencies (700-1200 Hz) winter, low (100-600 summer. winter early most showed poor, weak, time locking envelope amplitude-modulated whereas late spring summer majority robust time-locked These differences indicate neural coding midbrain subject fluctuation.