In vitro release of glutamate and aspartate from zebra finch song control nuclei.

The release of glutamate and aspartate from a song control nucleus, the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA) of the zebra finch was examined in slice preparations. The RA received inputs from two other song control nuclei, the high vocal center (HVc) and the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (1MAN). The fibers that innervated the RA from either the HVc or the 1MAN caused calcium-dependent release of glutamate and aspartate after electrical stimulation. It is likely that synapses of the RA from the HVc and the 1MAN utilize glutamate or aspartate as a neurotransmitter.