Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41513956›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2026

Cholinergic signaling differentially regulates a vocal motor pallial nucleus to stabilize adult birdsong.

Ning Xu, Yutao Zhang, Yalun Sun, Xueqing Song, Yangyang Cao, Xinqi Yang, Yuejun Zhou, Wei Meng

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Ning Xu *Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-5552-0499
Yutao Zhang *Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.
Yalun Sun *Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.
Xueqing SongJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.
Yangyang CaoJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2945-0221
Xinqi YangJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.
Yuejun ZhouJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China.
Wei MengJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China. weimeng@jxstnu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1166-2216

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32160123
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cholinergic modulation plays an important role in motor skill performance, including vocal control. In songbirds, song motor nucleus RA simultaneously receives inputs from song nuclei HVC and LMAN, and then its projection neurons (RAPNs) generate song motor control output. Using electrophysiological and pharmacological methods, we find that cholinergic signaling can enhance song stability by reducing HVC-RAPN excitatory synaptic transmission in adult male zebra finches, mediated by mAChRs. Although nAChRs are not effective overall, cholinergic signaling can also decrease LMAN-RAPN excitatory synaptic transmission induced by electrical stimulation via nAChRs, suggesting the potential role of cholinergic regulation in song behavior through LMAN-RA pathway. On the contrary, in adult female zebra finches, only LMAN-RAPN synaptic transmission is reduced by cholinergic signaling via mAChRs. The role of differential cholinergic regulation of song premotor circuits in songbirds' singing provides insights into the neural control mechanism of motor skill performance.

Indexed as

FinchesSignal TransductionVocalization, AnimalAnimalsFemaleMaleSynaptic Transmission

Identifiers

PMID41513956
PMCPMC12894729

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.