UT西南医学中心Todd F. Roberts小组取得一项新突破。他们的研究开发出了斑胸草雀歌唱音节序列的整体运动控制。该研究于2026年1月28日发表于国际一流学术期刊《自然》杂志上。

在这里，该课题组研究人员从功能上研究了皮层歌唱前运动区HVC是如何控制习得的歌唱音节的顺序产生的，这是斑胸草雀歌唱所必需的。该课题组发现HVC可以独立于其主要的突触输入通路产生完整的学习歌曲音节序列。丘脑对HVC的输入在歌曲开始时是必需的，但在音节之间的转换或歌曲完成时则不需要。课题组发现，在唱歌过程中，HVC神经元的兴奋可靠地使发声跳回到歌曲的开头，以一种让人想起跳唱片的方式。音节序列的重新启动可以在歌曲的任何时刻被诱导，并依赖于HVC中的局部电路。研究组确定并计算模拟了一个突触网络，包括HVC中的脑外前运动神经元和皮质纹状体神经元，它们对完成歌曲音节序列至关重要。

总之，他们的研究结果表明，习得的斑马雀鸣叫是由HVC中的皮质序列生成网络控制的，一旦启动，就可以独立于主要的外部输入途径，保持所有鸣叫音节的产生。因此，连续的神经元活动可以组织成良好学习的声音运动序列，最终实现对这种自然学习行为的整体控制。

据了解，大脑回路是如何组织起来，巧妙地产生习得的行为序列的，人们对这一点仍然知之甚少。

附：英文原文

Title: Holistic motor control of zebra finch song syllable sequences

Author: Trusel, Massimo, Zuo, Junfeng, Alam, Danyal H., Marks, Ethan S., Koch, Therese M. I., Cao, Jie, Pancholi, Harshida, Zhao, Ziran, Cooper, Brenton G., Zhang, Wen-Hao, Roberts, Todd F.

Issue&Volume: 2026-01-28

Abstract: How brain circuits are organized to skillfully produce learned sequences of behaviours is still poorly understood. Here we functionally examined how the cortical song premotor region HVC, which is necessary for zebra finch song1, controls the sequential production of learned song syllables. We found that HVC could generate the complete sequence of learned song syllables independently of its main synaptic input pathways. Thalamic input to HVC was needed for song initiation, but it was not required for transitions between syllables or for song completion. We showed that excitation of HVC neurons during song reliably caused vocalizations to skip back to the beginning of the song, in a manner reminiscent of a skipping record. This restarting of syllable sequences could be induced at any moment of the song and relied on local circuits within HVC. We identified and computationally modelled a synaptic network, including intratelencephalic premotor and corticostriatal neurons within HVC that are essential for completing song syllable sequences. Together, our results show that the learned zebra finch song is controlled by a cortical sequence-generating network in HVC that, once started, can sustain production of all song syllables independent of major extrinsic input pathways. Thus, sequential neuronal activity can be organized to fuse well-learned vocal motor sequences, ultimately achieving holistic control of this naturally learned behaviour.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10069-z

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10069-z