蛙類的繁殖行為具有明顯的季節(jié)性,。春季，雄性進入繁殖季節(jié),，開始大聲鳴叫,，以爭奪配偶和領(lǐng)地。此時,，雌性的聽覺系統(tǒng)需要處理各種復(fù)雜的鳴聲信號,，例如，雌性仙琴蛙可根據(jù)鳴聲的結(jié)構(gòu)特點判斷鳴聲是否從洞穴中發(fā)出,；冬季,，蛙類進入冬眠，無需處理復(fù)雜的聲音信號,，此時最重要的是節(jié)約能量過冬,。由此可推測：蛙類可能在冬季降低聽覺系統(tǒng)的敏感性，以節(jié)約能量過冬,，而在春季提高聽覺系統(tǒng)的敏感性,，處理各種復(fù)雜的聲音信號。然而,，關(guān)于蛙類外周聽覺系統(tǒng)是否具有季節(jié)可塑性尚無確切證據(jù),。
日前，PLoS ONE在線發(fā)表了成都生物所唐業(yè)忠課題組崔建國等人的最新研究成果,。研究人員檢測了仙琴蛙（Emei music frog, Babina daunchina）在不同季節(jié)的聽覺腦干反應(yīng)（Auditory Brainstem Responses,，ABRs）。結(jié)果顯示,，在1-6KHz的范圍內(nèi),，非繁殖季節(jié)的聽覺腦干反應(yīng)閾值顯著高于繁殖季節(jié)，反應(yīng)時間顯著長于繁殖季節(jié),，說明非繁殖季節(jié)的聽覺敏感性顯著低于繁殖季節(jié),。這些結(jié)果表明蛙類外周聽覺系統(tǒng)具有季節(jié)可塑性，以適應(yīng)蛙類的季節(jié)性繁殖,。論文的第一作者為博士研究生張典,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045792
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Plasticity of Peripheral Auditory Frequency Sensitivity in Emei Music Frog
Dian Zhang, Jianguo Cui, Yezhong Tang
In anurans reproductive behavior is strongly seasonal. During the spring, frogs emerge from hibernation and males vocalize for mating or advertising territories. Female frogs have the ability to evaluate the quality of the males' resources on the basis of these vocalizations. Although studies revealed that central single torus semicircularis neurons in frogs exhibit season plasticity, the plasticity of peripheral auditory sensitivity in frog is unknown. In this study the seasonally plasticity of peripheral auditory sensitivity was test in the Emei music frog Babina daunchina, by comparing thresholds and latencies of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) evoked by tone pips and clicks in the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. The results show that both ABR thresholds and latency differ significantly between the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. The thresholds of tone pip evoked ABRs in the non-reproductive season increased significantly about 10 dB than those in the reproductive season for frequencies from 1 KHz to 6 KHz. ABR latencies to waveform valley values for tone pips for the same frequencies using appropriate threshold stimulus levels are longer than those in the reproductive season for frequencies from 1.5 to 6 KHz range, although from 0.2 to 1.5 KHz range it is shorter in the non-reproductive season. These results demonstrated that peripheral auditory frequency sensitivity exhibits seasonal plasticity changes which may be adaptive to seasonal reproductive behavior in frogs.
