Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches
Despite growing evidence that demonstrate adverse effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on many species, relatively little is known regarding its effects on brain plasticity in birds. We recently showed that although ALAN increases cell proliferation in brains of birds, neuronal densities in t...
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6140 |
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| author | Stan Moaraf Rachel Heiblum Yulia Vistoropsky Monika Okuliarová Michal Zeman Anat Barnea |
| author_facet | Stan Moaraf Rachel Heiblum Yulia Vistoropsky Monika Okuliarová Michal Zeman Anat Barnea |
| author_sort | Stan Moaraf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite growing evidence that demonstrate adverse effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on many species, relatively little is known regarding its effects on brain plasticity in birds. We recently showed that although ALAN increases cell proliferation in brains of birds, neuronal densities in two brain regions decreased, indicating neuronal death, which might be due to mortality of newly produced neurons or of existing ones. Therefore, in the present study we studied the effect of long-term ALAN on the recruitment of newborn neurons into their target regions in the brain. Accordingly, we exposed zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia guttata</i>) to 5 lux ALAN, and analysed new neuronal recruitment and total neuronal densities in several brain regions. We found that ALAN increased neuronal recruitment, possibly as a compensatory response to ALAN-induced neuronal death, and/or due to increased nocturnal locomotor activity caused by sleep disruption. Moreover, ALAN also had a differential temporal effect on neuronal densities, because hippocampus was more sensitive to ALAN and its neuronal densities were more affected than in other brain regions. Nocturnal melatonin levels under ALAN were significantly lower compared to controls, indicating that very low ALAN intensities suppress melatonin not only in nocturnal, but also in diurnal species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:48:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2027ccd2176a4ed2a4f0c3aec83e61c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:48:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2027ccd2176a4ed2a4f0c3aec83e61c12023-11-20T11:23:25ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-08-012117614010.3390/ijms21176140Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra FinchesStan Moaraf0Rachel Heiblum1Yulia Vistoropsky2Monika Okuliarová3Michal Zeman4Anat Barnea5School of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, IsraelDepartment of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, IsraelDepartment of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, IsraelDepartment of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 84215 Bratislava, Slovak RepublicDepartment of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 84215 Bratislava, Slovak RepublicDepartment of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana 43710, IsraelDespite growing evidence that demonstrate adverse effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on many species, relatively little is known regarding its effects on brain plasticity in birds. We recently showed that although ALAN increases cell proliferation in brains of birds, neuronal densities in two brain regions decreased, indicating neuronal death, which might be due to mortality of newly produced neurons or of existing ones. Therefore, in the present study we studied the effect of long-term ALAN on the recruitment of newborn neurons into their target regions in the brain. Accordingly, we exposed zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia guttata</i>) to 5 lux ALAN, and analysed new neuronal recruitment and total neuronal densities in several brain regions. We found that ALAN increased neuronal recruitment, possibly as a compensatory response to ALAN-induced neuronal death, and/or due to increased nocturnal locomotor activity caused by sleep disruption. Moreover, ALAN also had a differential temporal effect on neuronal densities, because hippocampus was more sensitive to ALAN and its neuronal densities were more affected than in other brain regions. Nocturnal melatonin levels under ALAN were significantly lower compared to controls, indicating that very low ALAN intensities suppress melatonin not only in nocturnal, but also in diurnal species.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6140artificial light at night (ALAN)brain plasticitynew neuronal recruitmentneuronal densitieshippocampus (HC)Medial striatum (MSt) |
| spellingShingle | Stan Moaraf Rachel Heiblum Yulia Vistoropsky Monika Okuliarová Michal Zeman Anat Barnea Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches International Journal of Molecular Sciences artificial light at night (ALAN) brain plasticity new neuronal recruitment neuronal densities hippocampus (HC) Medial striatum (MSt) |
| title | Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches |
| title_full | Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches |
| title_fullStr | Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches |
| title_short | Artificial Light at Night Increases Recruitment of New Neurons and Differentially Affects Various Brain Regions in Female Zebra Finches |
| title_sort | artificial light at night increases recruitment of new neurons and differentially affects various brain regions in female zebra finches |
| topic | artificial light at night (ALAN) brain plasticity new neuronal recruitment neuronal densities hippocampus (HC) Medial striatum (MSt) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6140 |
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