RESUMEN
Social communication guides decision-making, which is essential for survival. Social transmission of food preference (STFP) is an ecologically relevant memory paradigm in which an animal learns a desirable food odour from another animal in a social context, creating a long-term memory1,2. How food-preference memory is acquired, consolidated and stored is unclear. Here we show that the posteromedial nucleus of the cortical amygdala (COApm) serves as a computational centre in long-term STFP memory consolidation by integrating social and sensory olfactory inputs. Blocking synaptic signalling by the COApm-based circuit selectively abolished STFP memory consolidation without impairing memory acquisition, storage or recall. COApm-mediated STFP memory consolidation depends on synaptic inputs from the accessory olfactory bulb and on synaptic outputs to the anterior olfactory nucleus. STFP memory consolidation requires protein synthesis, suggesting a gene-expression mechanism. Deep single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomics revealed robust but distinct gene-expression signatures induced by STFP memory formation in the COApm that are consistent with synapse restructuring. Our data thus define a neural circuit for the consolidation of a socially communicated long-term memory, thereby mechanistically distinguishing protein-synthesis-dependent memory consolidation from memory acquisition, storage or retrieval.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo , Preferencias Alimentarias , Consolidación de la Memoria , Memoria a Largo Plazo , Conducta Social , Animales , Masculino , Ratones , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Consolidación de la Memoria/fisiología , Memoria a Largo Plazo/fisiología , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Odorantes/análisis , Bulbo Olfatorio/fisiología , Bulbo Olfatorio/citología , Análisis de la Célula Individual , Sinapsis/metabolismo , Transcriptoma , Preferencias Alimentarias/fisiología , Preferencias Alimentarias/psicologíaRESUMEN
The lateral amygdala (LA) encodes fear memories by potentiating sensory inputs associated with threats and, in the process, recruits 10-30% of its neurons per fear memory engram. However, how the local network within the LA processes this information and whether it also plays a role in storing it are still largely unknown. Here, using ex vivo 12-patch-clamp and in vivo 32-electrode electrophysiological recordings in the LA of fear-conditioned rats, in combination with activity-dependent fluorescent and optogenetic tagging and recall, we identified a sparsely connected network between principal LA neurons that is organized in clusters. Fear conditioning specifically causes potentiation of synaptic connections between learning-recruited neurons. These findings of synaptic plasticity in an autoassociative excitatory network of the LA may suggest a basic principle through which a small number of pyramidal neurons could encode a large number of memories.
Asunto(s)
Complejo Nuclear Basolateral , Miedo , Plasticidad Neuronal , Neuronas , Animales , Miedo/fisiología , Ratas , Complejo Nuclear Basolateral/fisiología , Masculino , Neuronas/fisiología , Plasticidad Neuronal/fisiología , Optogenética , Condicionamiento Clásico/fisiología , Aprendizaje/fisiología , Técnicas de Placa-Clamp , Sinapsis/fisiología , Memoria/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citologíaRESUMEN
The paralaminar nucleus of the amygdala (PL) comprises neurons that exhibit delayed maturation. PL neurons are born during gestation but mature during adolescent ages, differentiating into excitatory neurons. These late-maturing PL neurons contribute to the increase in size and cell number of the amygdala between birth and adulthood. However, the function of the PL upon maturation is unknown, as the region has only recently begun to be characterized in detail. In this study, we investigated key defining features of the adult mouse PL; the intrinsic morpho-electric properties of its neurons, and its input and output circuit connectivity. We identify two subtypes of excitatory neurons in the PL based on unsupervised clustering of electrophysiological properties. These subtypes are defined by differential action potential firing properties and dendritic architecture, suggesting divergent functional roles. We further uncover major axonal inputs to the adult PL from the main olfactory network and basolateral amygdala. We also find that axonal outputs from the PL project reciprocally to these inputs and to diverse targets including the amygdala, frontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brainstem. Thus, the adult mouse PL is centrally placed to play a major role in the integration of olfactory sensory information, to coordinate affective and autonomic behavioral responses to salient odor stimuli.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo , Neuronas , Animales , Ratones , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Neuronas/fisiología , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Potenciales de Acción/fisiología , Femenino , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Ratones Transgénicos , Dendritas/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Light exposure can profoundly affect neurological functions and behaviors. Here, we show that short-term exposure to moderate (400 lux) white light during Y-maze test promoted spatial memory retrieval and induced only mild anxiety in mice. This beneficial effect involves the activation of a circuit including neurons in the central amygdala (CeA), locus coeruleus (LC), and dentate gyrus (DG). Specifically, moderate light activated corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) positive (+) CeA neurons and induced the release of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) from their axon terminals ending in the LC. CRF then activated tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing LC neurons, which send projections to DG and release norepinephrine (NE). NE activated ß-adrenergic receptors on CaMKIIα-expressing DG neurons, ultimately promoting spatial memory retrieval. Our study thus demonstrated a specific light scheme that can promote spatial memory without excessive stress, and unraveled the underlying CeA-LC-DG circuit and associated neurochemical mechanisms.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo , Luz , Memoria Espacial , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/metabolismo , Animales , Ratones , Ansiedad , Giro Dentado/citología , Giro Dentado/metabolismo , Neuronas , Locus Coeruleus/citología , Locus Coeruleus/metabolismo , Hormona Liberadora de Corticotropina/metabolismo , Norepinefrina/metabolismo , Vías Nerviosas , Aprendizaje por Laberinto , Ratones Endogámicos C57BLRESUMEN
Mating and aggression are innate social behaviours that are controlled by subcortical circuits in the extended amygdala and hypothalamus1-4. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpr) is a node that receives input encoding sex-specific olfactory cues from the medial amygdala5,6, and which in turn projects to hypothalamic nuclei that control mating7-9 (medial preoptic area (MPOA)) and aggression9-14 (ventromedial hypothalamus, ventrolateral subdivision (VMHvl)), respectively15. Previous studies have demonstrated that male aromatase-positive BNSTpr neurons are required for mounting and attack, and may identify conspecific sex according to their overall level of activity16. However, neural representations in BNSTpr, their function and their transformations in the hypothalamus have not been characterized. Here we performed calcium imaging17,18 of male BNSTprEsr1 neurons during social behaviours. We identify distinct populations of female- versus male-tuned neurons in BNSTpr, with the former outnumbering the latter by around two to one, similar to the medial amygdala and MPOA but opposite to VMHvl, in which male-tuned neurons predominate6,9,19. Chemogenetic silencing of BNSTprEsr1 neurons while imaging MPOAEsr1 or VMHvlEsr1 neurons in behaving animals showed, unexpectedly, that the male-dominant sex-tuning bias in VMHvl was inverted to female-dominant whereas a switch from sniff- to mount-selective neurons during mating was attenuated in MPOA. Our data also indicate that BNSTprEsr1 neurons are not essential for conspecific sex identification. Rather, they control the transition from appetitive to consummatory phases of male social behaviours by shaping sex- and behaviour-specific neural representations in the hypothalamus.
Asunto(s)
Conducta Sexual Animal , Conducta Social , Agresión/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Animales , Calcio/análisis , Calcio/metabolismo , Femenino , Hipotálamo/citología , Hipotálamo/fisiología , Masculino , Neuronas/fisiología , Área Preóptica/citología , Área Preóptica/fisiología , Caracteres Sexuales , Conducta Sexual Animal/fisiologíaRESUMEN
The human amygdala and hippocampus have long been associated with face perception. Here, we present a dataset of single-neuron activity in the human amygdala and hippocampus during face perception. We recorded 2082 neurons from the human amygdala and hippocampus when neurosurgical patients with intractable epilepsy performed a one-back task using natural face stimuli, which mimics natural face perception. Specifically, our data include (1) single-neuron activity from the amygdala (996 neurons) and hippocampus (1086 neurons), (2) eye movements (gaze position and pupil), (3) psychological assessment of the patients, and (4) social trait judgment ratings from a subset of patients and a large sample of participants from the general population. Together, our comprehensive dataset with a large population of neurons can facilitate multifaceted investigation of face perception with the highest spatial and temporal resolution currently available in humans.
Asunto(s)
Reconocimiento Facial , Neuronas , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Hipocampo/citología , Hipocampo/fisiología , Humanos , Neuronas/fisiología , Análisis de la Célula Individual , Percepción Visual/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Aging and reduced exposure to environmental microbes can both potentiate neuroinflammatory responses. Prior studies indicate that immunization with the immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae), in aged rats limits neuroimmune activation and cognitive impairments. However, the mechanisms by which M. vaccae immunization ameliorates age-associated neuroinflammatory "priming" and whether microglia are a primary target remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether M. vaccae immunization protects against microglia morphological changes in response to aging. Adult (3 mos) and aged (24 mos) Fisher 344 × Brown Norway rats were immunized with either M. vaccae or vehicle once every week for 3 weeks. Aging led to elevated Iba1 immunoreactivity, microglial density, and deramification of microglia processes in the hippocampus and amygdala but not other brain regions. Additionally, aged rats exhibited larger microglial somas in the dorsal hippocampus, suggestive of a more activated phenotype. Notably, M. vaccae treatment ameliorated indicators of microglia activation in both the amygdala and hippocampus. While changes in morphology appeared to be region-specific, gene markers indicative of microglia activation were upregulated by age and lowered in response to M. vaccae in all brain regions evaluated. Taken together, these data suggest that peripheral immunization with M. vaccae quells markers of age-associated microglia activation.
Asunto(s)
Envejecimiento , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Hipocampo/citología , Microglía/inmunología , Microglía/ultraestructura , Mycobacteriaceae/inmunología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/inmunología , Animales , Proteínas de Unión al Calcio/análisis , Proteínas de Unión al Calcio/inmunología , Hipocampo/inmunología , Inmunización , Masculino , Proteínas de Microfilamentos/análisis , Proteínas de Microfilamentos/inmunología , RatasRESUMEN
The reuniens nucleus (RE) is situated at the most ventral position of the midline thalamus. In rats and mice RE is distinguished by bidirectional connections with the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and a role in memory and cognition. In primates, many foundational questions pertaining to RE remain unresolved. We addressed these issues by investigating the composition of the rhesus monkey RE in both sexes by labeling for GABA, a marker of inhibitory neurons, and for the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin (PV), calbindin (CB), and calretinin (CR), which label thalamic excitatory neurons that project to cortex. As in rats and mice, the macaque RE was mostly populated by CB and CR neurons, characteristic of matrix-dominant nuclei, and had bidirectional connections with hippocampus and mPFC area 25 (A25). Unlike rodents, we found GABAergic neurons in the monkey RE and a sparser but consistent population of core-associated thalamocortical PV neurons. RE had stronger connections with the basal amygdalar complex than in rats or mice. Amygdalar terminations were enriched with mitochondria and frequently formed successive synapses with the same postsynaptic structures, suggesting an active and robust pathway to RE. Significantly, hippocampal pathways formed multisynaptic complexes that uniquely involved excitatory projection neurons and dendrites of local inhibitory neurons in RE, extending this synaptic principle beyond sensory to high-order thalamic nuclei. Convergent pathways from hippocampus, A25, and amygdala in RE position it to flexibly coordinate activity for memory, cognition, and emotional context, which are disrupted in several psychiatric and neurologic diseases in humans.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The primate RE is a central node for memory and cognition through connections with the hippocampus and mPFC. As in rats or mice, the primate RE is a matrix-dominant thalamic nucleus, suggesting signal traffic to the upper cortical layers. Unlike rats or mice, the primate RE contains inhibitory neurons, synaptic specializations with the hippocampal pathway, and robust connections with the amygdala, suggesting unique adaptations. Convergence of hippocampal, mPFC, and amygdalar pathways in RE may help unravel a circuit basis for binding diverse signals for conscious flexible behaviors and the synthesis of memory with affective significance in primates, whereas disruption of distinct circuit nodes may occur in psychiatric disorders in humans.
Asunto(s)
Cognición/fisiología , Emociones/fisiología , Núcleos Talámicos de la Línea Media/fisiología , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Animales , Axones/ultraestructura , Femenino , Hipocampo/citología , Hipocampo/fisiología , Macaca mulatta , Masculino , Núcleos Talámicos de la Línea Media/citología , Vías Nerviosas/citologíaRESUMEN
The ability to help and care for others fosters social cohesiveness and is vital to the physical and emotional well-being of social species, including humans1-3. Affiliative social touch, such as allogrooming (grooming behaviour directed towards another individual), is a major type of prosocial behaviour that provides comfort to others1-6. Affiliative touch serves to establish and strengthen social bonds between animals and can help to console distressed conspecifics. However, the neural circuits that promote prosocial affiliative touch have remained unclear. Here we show that mice exhibit affiliative allogrooming behaviour towards distressed partners, providing a consoling effect. The increase in allogrooming occurs in response to different types of stressors and can be elicited by olfactory cues from distressed individuals. Using microendoscopic calcium imaging, we find that neural activity in the medial amygdala (MeA) responds differentially to naive and distressed conspecifics and encodes allogrooming behaviour. Through intersectional functional manipulations, we establish a direct causal role of the MeA in controlling affiliative allogrooming and identify a select, tachykinin-expressing subpopulation of MeA GABAergic (γ-aminobutyric-acid-expressing) neurons that promote this behaviour through their projections to the medial preoptic area. Together, our study demonstrates that mice display prosocial comforting behaviour and reveals a neural circuit mechanism that underlies the encoding and control of affiliative touch during prosocial interactions.
Asunto(s)
Emociones , Conducta Social , Estrés Psicológico , Tacto/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Animales , Conducta Cooperativa , Femenino , Masculino , Ratones , Vías Nerviosas , Neuronas/fisiología , Área Preóptica/citología , Área Preóptica/fisiología , Estrés Psicológico/prevención & control , Estrés Psicológico/psicologíaRESUMEN
The subgenual (sgACC) and perigenual (pgACC) anterior cingulate are important afferents of the amygdala, with different cytoarchitecture, connectivity, and function. The sgACC is associated with arousal mechanisms linked to salient cues, whereas the pgACC is engaged in conflict decision-making, including in social contexts. After placing same-size, small volume tracer injections into sgACC and pgACC of the same hemisphere in male macaques, we examined anterogradely labeled fiber distribution to understand how these different functional systems communicate in the main amygdala nuclei at both mesocopic and cellular levels. The sgACC has broad-based termination patterns. In contrast, the pgACC has a more restricted pattern, which was always nested in sgACC terminals. Terminal overlap occurred in subregions of the accessory basal and basal nuclei, which we termed "hotspots." In triple-labeling confocal studies, the majority of randomly selected CaMKIIα-positive cells (putative amygdala glutamatergic neurons) in hotspots received dual contacts from the sgACC and pgACC. The ratio of dual contacts occurred over a surprisingly narrow range, suggesting a consistent, tight balance of afferent contacts on postsynaptic neurons. Large boutons, which are associated with greater synaptic strength, were â¼3 times more frequent on sgACC versus pgACC axon terminals in hotspots, consistent with a fast "driver" function. Together, the results reveal a nested interaction in which pgACC ("conflict/social monitoring") terminals converge with the broader sgACC ("salience") terminals at both the mesoscopic and cellular level. The presynaptic organization in hotspots suggests that shifts in arousal states can rapidly and flexibly influence decision-making functions in the amygdala.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The subgenual (sgACC) and perigenual cingulate (pgACC) have distinct structural and functional characteristics and are important afferent modulators of the amygdala. The sgACC is critical for arousal, whereas the pgACC mediates conflict-monitoring, including in social contexts. Using dual tracer injections in the same monkey, we found that sgACC inputs broadly project in the main amygdala nuclei, whereas pgACC inputs were more restricted and nested in zones containing sgACC terminals (hotspots). The majority of CaMKIIα + (excitatory) amygdala neurons in hotspots received converging contacts, which were tightly balanced. pgACC and sgACC afferent streams are therefore highly interdependent in these specific amygdala subregions, permitting "internal arousal" states to rapidly shape responses of amygdala neurons involved in conflict and social monitoring networks.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Giro del Cíngulo/citología , Vías Nerviosas/citología , Neuronas Aferentes/citología , Células Piramidales/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Animales , Nivel de Alerta/fisiología , Giro del Cíngulo/fisiología , Macaca fascicularis , Masculino , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Neuronas Aferentes/fisiología , Células Piramidales/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Plasticity of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is critical for establishment of drug dependence. However, the remodeling of the circuits mediating the transition between positive and negative effect remains unclear. Here, we used neuronal activity-dependent labeling technique to characterize and temporarily control the VTA neuronal ensembles recruited by the initial morphine exposure (morphine-positive ensembles, Mor-Ens). Mor-Ens preferentially projected to NAc, and induced dopamine-dependent positive reinforcement. Electrophysiology and rabies viral tracing revealed the preferential connections between the VTA-projective corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons of central amygdala (CRHCeAâVTA) and Mor-Ens, which was enhanced after escalating morphine exposure and mediated the negative effect during opiate withdrawal. Pharmacologic intervention or CRISPR-mediated repression of CRHR1 in Mor-Ens weakened the inhibitory CRHCeAâVTA inputs, and alleviated the negative effect during opiate withdrawal. These data suggest that neurons encoding opioid reward experience are inhibited by enhanced CRHCeAâVTA inputs induced by chronic morphine exposure, leading to negative effect during opiate withdrawal, and provide new insight into the pathological changes in VTA plasticity after drug abuse and mechanism of opiate dependence.
Asunto(s)
Morfina/efectos adversos , Plasticidad Neuronal , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias/fisiopatología , Área Tegmental Ventral , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Analgésicos Opioides/efectos adversos , Animales , Hormona Liberadora de Corticotropina/metabolismo , Área Tegmental Ventral/citología , Área Tegmental Ventral/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
Vomeronasal information is critical in mice for territorial behavior. Consequently, learning the territorial spatial structure should incorporate the vomeronasal signals indicating individual identity into the hippocampal cognitive map. In this work we show in mice that navigating a virtual environment induces synchronic activity, with causality in both directionalities, between the vomeronasal amygdala and the dorsal CA1 of the hippocampus in the theta frequency range. The detection of urine stimuli induces synaptic plasticity in the vomeronasal pathway and the dorsal hippocampus, even in animals with experimentally induced anosmia. In the dorsal hippocampus, this plasticity is associated with the overexpression of pAKT and pGSK3ß. An amygdalo-entorhino-hippocampal circuit likely underlies this effect of pheromonal information on hippocampal learning. This circuit likely constitutes the neural substrate of territorial behavior in mice, and it allows the integration of social and spatial information.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Región CA1 Hipocampal/fisiología , Glucógeno Sintasa Quinasa 3 beta/genética , Percepción Olfatoria/fisiología , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt/genética , Conducta Espacial/fisiología , Órgano Vomeronasal/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Animales , Anosmia/genética , Anosmia/metabolismo , Anosmia/fisiopatología , Conducta Animal , Región CA1 Hipocampal/citología , Femenino , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Glucógeno Sintasa Quinasa 3 beta/metabolismo , Aprendizaje/fisiología , Masculino , Ratones , Red Nerviosa/citología , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Plasticidad Neuronal/fisiología , Neuronas/citología , Neuronas/metabolismo , Feromonas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt/metabolismo , Percepción Social , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Ritmo Teta/fisiología , Órgano Vomeronasal/citologíaRESUMEN
Sex steroid hormones act on hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons to regulate reproductive neural circuits in the brain. Kisspeptin neurons start to express estrogen receptors in utero, suggesting steroid hormone action on these cells early during development. Whether neurosteroids are locally produced in the embryonic brain and impinge onto kisspeptin/reproductive neural circuitry is not known. To address this question, we analyzed aromatase expression, a key enzyme in estrogen synthesis, in male and female mouse embryos. We identified an aromatase neuronal network comprising â¼6000 neurons in the hypothalamus and amygdala. By birth, this network has become sexually dimorphic in a cluster of aromatase neurons in the arcuate nucleus adjacent to kisspeptin neurons. We demonstrate that male arcuate aromatase neurons convert testosterone to estrogen to regulate kisspeptin neuron activity. We provide spatiotemporal information on aromatase neuronal network development and highlight a novel mechanism whereby aromatase neurons regulate the activity of distinct neuronal populations expressing estrogen receptors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sex steroid hormones, such as estradiol, are important regulators of neural circuits controlling reproductive physiology in the brain. Embryonic kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamus express steroid hormone receptors, suggesting hormone action on these cells in utero Whether neurosteroids are locally produced in the brain and impinge onto reproductive neural circuitry is insufficiently understood. To address this question, we analyzed aromatase expression, a key enzyme in estradiol synthesis, in mouse embryos and identified a network comprising â¼6000 neurons in the brain. By birth, this network has become sexually dimorphic in a cluster of aromatase neurons in the arcuate nucleus adjacent to kisspeptin neurons. We demonstrate that male aromatase neurons convert testosterone to estradiol to regulate kisspeptin neuron activity.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo/metabolismo , Aromatasa/metabolismo , Estrógenos/biosíntesis , Hipotálamo/metabolismo , Kisspeptinas/metabolismo , Neuronas/metabolismo , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Animales , Aromatasa/genética , Femenino , Hipotálamo/citología , Hipotálamo/fisiología , Kisspeptinas/genética , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Neuronas/fisiologíaRESUMEN
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is obligatory for fear learning. This learning is linked to BLA excitatory projection neurons whose activity is regulated by complex networks of inhibitory interneurons, dominated by parvalbumin (PV)-expressing GABAergic neurons. The roles of these GABAergic interneurons in learning to fear and learning not to fear, activity profiles of these interneurons across the course of fear learning, and whether or how these change across the course of learning all remain poorly understood. Here, we used PV cell-type-specific recording and manipulation approaches in male transgenic PV-Cre rats during pavlovian fear conditioning to address these issues. We show that activity of BLA PV neurons during the moments of aversive reinforcement controls fear learning about aversive events, but activity during moments of nonreinforcement does not control fear extinction learning. Furthermore, we show expectation-modulation of BLA PV neurons during fear learning, with greater activity to an unexpected than expected aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). This expectation-modulation was specifically because of BLA PV neuron sensitivity to aversive prediction error. Finally, we show that BLA PV neuron function in fear learning is conserved across these variations in prediction error. We suggest that aversive prediction-error modulation of PV neurons could enable BLA fear-learning circuits to retain selectivity for specific sensory features of aversive USs despite variations in the strength of US inputs, thereby permitting the rapid updating of fear associations when these sensory features change.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The capacity to learn about sources of danger in the environment is essential for survival. This learning depends on complex microcircuitries of inhibitory interneurons in the basolateral amygdala. Here, we show that parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons in the rat basolateral amygdala are important for fear learning during moments of danger, but not for extinction learning during moments of safety, and that the activity of these neurons is modulated by expectation of danger. This may enable fear-learning circuits to retain selectivity for specific aversive events across variations in expectation, permitting the rapid updating of learning when aversive events change.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Miedo , Neuronas GABAérgicas/fisiología , Refuerzo en Psicología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Animales , Condicionamiento Clásico , Extinción Psicológica , Neuronas GABAérgicas/metabolismo , Masculino , Parvalbúminas/genética , Parvalbúminas/metabolismo , RatasRESUMEN
Previous investigations have implicated the basolateral amygdala (BLA) epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of depression. SIRT1 is a NAD+-dependent class III histone deacetylase, widely expresses in BLA. However, epigenetic mechanisms in the BLA under the regulation of SIRT1 in the depression are largely uncharacterized. Under the chronic unpredictable chronic mild stress (CUMS) mouse model, we used adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) that encoded SIRT1-shRNA or SIRT1 to specifically knockdown or overexpress SIRT1 in BLA neurons, respectively. CUMS procedure induced significant depression symptoms including the decreased sucrose preference, the less bodyweight gained, the decreased immobile latency and the increased immobile time both in forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Knockdown of SIRT1 in BLA glutamatergic neurons reversed these depression-like behaviors and restored the synaptic abnormalities. Overexpression of SIRT1 in BLA glutamatergic neurons induced depression-like behaviors in non-stressed control mice. The result of protein expressions and ultrastructural changes were consistent with the behavioral results. Our study suggested that downregulation of SIRT1 in BLA has certain beneficial effect on CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors such as anorexia, anhedonia, hopelessness and despair. In addition, the increased expression of SIRT1 may be the immediate cause of depressive-like symptoms. The abnormal expression of SIRT1 may affect the transcriptional regulation mechanism and signaling protein acetylation, affecting neuroplasticity and ultimately contribute to MDD. In the stress-susceptible mice, these two mechanisms may co-exist, but the specific mechanism needs further research.
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Amígdala del Cerebelo/metabolismo , Depresión/genética , Sirtuina 1/metabolismo , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Animales , Depresión/metabolismo , Ácido Glutámico/metabolismo , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Neuronas/metabolismo , Neuronas/fisiología , Sirtuina 1/genéticaRESUMEN
Successful adaptation to the environment requires an accurate response to external threats by recalling specific memories. Memory formation and recall require engram cell activity and synaptic strengthening among activated neuronal ensembles. However, elucidation of the underlying neural substrates of associative fear memory has remained limited without a direct interrogation of extinction-induced changes of specific synapses that encode a specific auditory fear memory. Using dual-eGRASP (enhanced green fluorescent protein reconstitution across synaptic partners), we found that synapses among activated neuronal ensembles or activated synaptic ensembles showed a significantly larger spine morphology at auditory cortex (AC)-to-lateral amygdala (LA) projections after auditory fear conditioning in mice. Fear extinction reversed these enhanced synaptic ensemble spines, whereas re-conditioning with the same tone and shock restored the spine size of the synaptic ensemble. We suggest that synaptic ensembles encode and represent different fear memory states.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Miedo , Memoria , Sinapsis/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Animales , Espinas Dendríticas/fisiología , Extinción Psicológica , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BLRESUMEN
In recent years, a large population of immature neurons has been documented in the paralaminar nucleus of the primate amygdala. A substantial fraction of these immature neurons differentiate into mature neurons during postnatal development or following selective lesion of the hippocampus. Notwithstanding a growing number of studies on the origin and fate of these immature neurons, fundamental questions about the life and death of these neurons remain. Here, we briefly summarize what is currently known about the immature neurons present in the primate ventral amygdala during development and in adulthood, as well as following selective hippocampal lesions. We provide evidence confirming that the distribution of immature neurons extends to the anterior portions of the entorhinal cortex and layer II of the perirhinal cortex. We also provide novel arguments derived from stereological estimates of the number of mature and immature neurons, which support the view that the migration of immature neurons from the lateral ventricle accompanies neuronal maturation in the primate amygdala at all ages. Finally, we propose and discuss the hypothesis that increased migration and maturation of neurons in the amygdala following hippocampal dysfunction may be linked to behavioral alterations associated with certain neurodevelopmental disorders.
Asunto(s)
Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Diferenciación Celular , Neuronas/citología , Neuronas/metabolismo , Factores de Edad , Amígdala del Cerebelo/metabolismo , Animales , Biomarcadores , Recuento de Células , Muerte Celular , Supervivencia Celular , Expresión Génica , Hipocampo/citología , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Inmunohistoquímica , Primates , Lóbulo Temporal/citología , Lóbulo Temporal/metabolismoRESUMEN
Over the past few decades, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) gained popularity as a unique brain region involved in regulating motivated behaviors related to neuropsychiatric disorders. The BNST, a component of the extended amygdala, consists of a variety of subnuclei and neuronal ensembles. Multiple studies have highlighted the BNST as playing a fundamental role in integrating information by interfacing with other brain regions to regulate distinct aspects of motivated behaviors associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and decision-making. However, due to the high molecular heterogeneity found within BNST neurons, the precise mechanisms by which this region regulates distinct motivational states remains largely unclear. Single-cell RNA sequencing data have revealed that the BNST consists of multiple genetically identifiable cell-type clusters. Contemporary tools can therefore be leveraged to target and study such cell-types and elucidate their precise functional role. In this review, we discuss the different subsets of neurons found in the BNST, their anatomical distribution, and what is currently known about BNST cell-types in regulating motivated behaviors.
Asunto(s)
Motivación/fisiología , Núcleos Septales/citología , Núcleos Septales/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Animales , Ansiedad/fisiopatología , Secuencia de Bases/genética , Encéfalo/citología , Humanos , Neuronas , Núcleos Septales/metabolismo , Análisis de la Célula Individual/métodosRESUMEN
The central amygdala (CE) emerges as a critical node for affective processing. However, how CE local circuitry interacts with brain wide affective states is yet uncharted. Using basic nociception as proxy, we find that gene expression suggests diverging roles of the two major CE neuronal populations, protein kinase C δ-expressing (PKCδ+) and somatostatin-expressing (SST+) cells. Optogenetic (o)fMRI demonstrates that PKCδ+/SST+ circuits engage specific separable functional subnetworks to modulate global brain dynamics by a differential bottom-up vs. top-down hierarchical mesoscale mechanism. This diverging modulation impacts on nocifensive behavior and may underly CE control of affective processing.
Asunto(s)
Afecto/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/fisiología , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Nocicepción/fisiología , Amígdala del Cerebelo/citología , Animales , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Transgénicos , Optogenética/métodos , Proteína Quinasa C-delta/metabolismo , Proteína Quinasa C-delta/fisiología , Somatostatina/metabolismo , Somatostatina/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Adaptive behaviour necessitates the formation of memories for fearful events, but also that these memories can be extinguished. Effective extinction prevents excessive and persistent reactions to perceived threat, as can occur in anxiety and 'trauma- and stressor-related' disorders1. However, although there is evidence that fear learning and extinction are mediated by distinct neural circuits, the nature of the interaction between these circuits remains poorly understood2-6. Here, through a combination of in vivo calcium imaging, functional manipulations, and slice physiology, we show that distinct inhibitory clusters of intercalated neurons (ITCs) in the mouse amygdala exert diametrically opposed roles during the acquisition and retrieval of fear extinction memory. Furthermore, we find that the ITC clusters antagonize one another through mutual synaptic inhibition and differentially access functionally distinct cortical- and midbrain-projecting amygdala output pathways. Our findings show that the balance of activity between ITC clusters represents a unique regulatory motif that orchestrates a distributed neural circuitry, which in turn regulates the switch between high- and low-fear states. These findings suggest that the ITCs have a broader role in a range of amygdala functions and associated brain states that underpins the capacity to adapt to salient environmental demands.