51
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Ozawa M, Davis P, Ni J, Maguire J, Papouin T, Reijmers L. Experience-dependent resonance in amygdalo-cortical circuits supports fear memory retrieval following extinction. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4358. [PMID: 32868768 PMCID: PMC7459312 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18199-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Learned fear and safety are associated with distinct oscillatory states in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To determine if and how these network states support the retrieval of competing memories, we mimicked endogenous oscillatory activity through optogenetic stimulation of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in mice during retrieval of contextual fear and extinction memories. We found that exogenously induced 4 Hz and 8 Hz oscillatory activity in the BLA exerts bi-directional control over conditioned freezing behavior in an experience- and context-specific manner, and that these oscillations have an experience-dependent ability to recruit distinct functional neuronal ensembles. At the network level we demonstrate, via simultaneous manipulation of BLA and mPFC, that experience-dependent 4 Hz resonance across BLA-mPFC circuitry supports post-extinction fear memory retrieval. Our findings reveal that post-extinction fear memory retrieval is supported by local and interregional experience-dependent resonance, and suggest novel approaches for interrogation and therapeutic manipulation of acquired fear circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minagi Ozawa
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrick Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Combined Residency Program (Child Neurology), Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jianguang Ni
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Papouin
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Leon Reijmers
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Functional Characterization of the Basal Amygdala-Dorsal BNST Pathway during Contextual Fear Conditioning. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0163-20.2020. [PMID: 32601096 PMCID: PMC7358333 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0163-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Both the basal amygdala (BA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) can participate in contextual fear, but it is unclear whether contextual fear engrams involve a direct interaction between these two brain regions. To determine whether dorsal BNST (dBNST)-projecting neurons in the BA participate in contextual fear engrams, we combined the TetTag mouse with a retrograde tracer to label dBNST-projecting cells in the BA. We identified a population of neurons located in the anterior subdivision of the BA (aBA) that was activated during fear conditioning and reactivated during retrieval but that did not project to the dBNST. In contrast, dBNST-projecting neurons located in the posterior BA (pBA) were activated during contextual fear conditioning but were not reactivated during retrieval. Similarly, we found neurons in the oval BNST subdivision (ovBNST) that were activated during contextual fear conditioning without being reactivated during retrieval. However, the anterodorsal BNST (adBNST) subdivision was not activated during either contextual fear conditioning or retrieval, underscoring the divergent functionality of these two dBNST subdivisions. Finally, we found that the ovBNST receives a monosynaptic projection from neurons located in the BA. Our results indicate that aBA neurons that do not project to the dBNST participate in contextual fear engrams. In contrast, dBNST-projecting neurons in the BA do not appear to participate in contextual fear engrams, but might instead contain a BA → ovBNST pathway that is active during the initial encoding of contextual fear memories.
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53
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Dulka BN, Bagatelas ED, Bress KS, Grizzell JA, Cannon MK, Whitten CJ, Cooper MA. Chemogenetic activation of an infralimbic cortex to basolateral amygdala projection promotes resistance to acute social defeat stress. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6884. [PMID: 32327679 PMCID: PMC7181792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63879-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tremendous individual differences exist in stress responsivity and social defeat stress is a key approach for identifying cellular mechanisms of stress susceptibility and resilience. Syrian hamsters show reliable territorial aggression, but after social defeat they exhibit a conditioned defeat (CD) response characterized by increased submission and an absence of aggression in future social interactions. Hamsters that achieve social dominance prior to social defeat exhibit greater defeat-induced neural activity in infralimbic (IL) cortex neurons that project to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and reduced CD response compared to subordinate hamsters. Here, we hypothesize that chemogenetic activation of an IL-to-BLA neural projection during acute social defeat will reduce the CD response in subordinate hamsters and thereby produce dominant-like behavior. We confirmed that clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) itself did not alter the CD response and validated a dual-virus, Cre-dependent, chemogenetic approach by showing that CNO treatment increased c-Fos expression in the IL and decreased it in the BLA. We found that CNO treatment during social defeat reduced the acquisition of CD in subordinate, but not dominant, hamsters. This project extends our understanding of the neural circuits underlying resistance to acute social stress, which is an important step toward delineating circuit-based approaches for the treatment of stress-related psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke N Dulka
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
| | - Elena D Bagatelas
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Kimberly S Bress
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - J Alex Grizzell
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Megan K Cannon
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Conner J Whitten
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Matthew A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
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54
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Ross JA, Van Bockstaele EJ. The role of catecholamines in modulating responses to stress: Sex-specific patterns, implications, and therapeutic potential for post-traumatic stress disorder and opiate withdrawal. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2429-2465. [PMID: 32125035 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Emotional arousal is one of several factors that determine the strength of a memory and how efficiently it may be retrieved. The systems at play are multifaceted; on one hand, the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system evaluates the rewarding or reinforcing potential of a stimulus, while on the other, the noradrenergic stress response system evaluates the risk of threat, commanding attention, and engaging emotional and physical behavioral responses. Sex-specific patterns in the anatomy and function of the arousal system suggest that sexually divergent therapeutic approaches may be advantageous for neurological disorders involving arousal, learning, and memory. From the lens of the triple network model of psychopathology, we argue that post-traumatic stress disorder and opiate substance use disorder arise from maladaptive learning responses that are perpetuated by hyperarousal of the salience network. We present evidence that catecholamine-modulated learning and stress-responsive circuitry exerts substantial influence over the salience network and its dysfunction in stress-related psychiatric disorders, and between the sexes. We discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting the endogenous cannabinoid system; a ubiquitous neuromodulator that influences learning, memory, and responsivity to stress by influencing catecholamine, excitatory, and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Relevant preclinical data in male and female rodents are integrated with clinical data in men and women in an effort to understand how ideal treatment modalities between the sexes may be different.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elisabeth J Van Bockstaele
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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55
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Josselyn SA, Tonegawa S. Memory engrams: Recalling the past and imagining the future. Science 2020; 367:367/6473/eaaw4325. [PMID: 31896692 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw4325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 425] [Impact Index Per Article: 106.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In 1904, Richard Semon introduced the term "engram" to describe the neural substrate for storing memories. An experience, Semon proposed, activates a subset of cells that undergo off-line, persistent chemical and/or physical changes to become an engram. Subsequent reactivation of this engram induces memory retrieval. Although Semon's contributions were largely ignored in his lifetime, new technologies that allow researchers to image and manipulate the brain at the level of individual neurons has reinvigorated engram research. We review recent progress in studying engrams, including an evaluation of evidence for the existence of engrams, the importance of intrinsic excitability and synaptic plasticity in engrams, and the lifetime of an engram. Together, these findings are beginning to define an engram as the basic unit of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,Brain, Mind & Consciousness Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Susumu Tonegawa
- RIKEN-MIT Laboratory for Neural Circuit Genetics at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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56
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McDonald AJ. Functional neuroanatomy of the basolateral amygdala: Neurons, neurotransmitters, and circuits. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 26:1-38. [PMID: 34220399 PMCID: PMC8248694 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815134-1.00001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
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57
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Gao F, Huang J, Guan YF, Huang GB, Li WJ, He XY, Qiu ZC, Zhang YL, Zhao ST, Li J, Xuan A, Sun XD. Social Company by a Receptive Mating Partner Facilitates Fear Extinction. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:62. [PMID: 32116509 PMCID: PMC7018940 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction remains an unresolved challenge for behavioral exposure therapy in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous reports have suggested that social support from either familiar or unfamiliar same-sex partners is beneficial to attenuating fear responses during fear extinction and renewal. Despite that, few studies have examined the effects of social support in advance on fear extinction and/or retrieval. It is also not clear whether social company by a receptive mating partner in advance facilitates fear extinction. In the present study, we address these questions by introducing a co-housing method, where fear-conditioned male mice are co-housed with or without a receptive mating partner prior to fear extinction. We found that while co-housing with an ovariectomized female mouse showed little effect on fear extinction or retrieval, social company by a receptive mating partner in advance dramatically facilitates fear extinction. In addition, the number of cFos-positive neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) were also found to be reduced in male mice accompanied with receptive mating partner in response to fear extinction and retrieval, indicating diminished neuronal activation. Electrophysiological studies further showed that the excitability of excitatory neurons in BLA was decreased, which is probably due to the attenuated basal level of excitatory synaptic transmission. Together, our observations demonstrate an effect of social company by a receptive mating partner can facilitate fear extinction and afford a possible cellular mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Gao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Fei Guan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guo-Bin Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jing Li
- KingMed School of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi-Yi He
- KingMed School of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zi-Cong Qiu
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Long Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shen-Ting Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aiguo Xuan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Guangzhou, China
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58
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Amygdala Reward Neurons Form and Store Fear Extinction Memory. Neuron 2020; 105:1077-1093.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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59
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Excitation of Diverse Classes of Cholecystokinin Interneurons in the Basal Amygdala Facilitates Fear Extinction. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0220-19.2019. [PMID: 31636080 PMCID: PMC6838687 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0220-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that interneurons (INs) orchestrate neural activity and plasticity in corticoamygdala circuits to regulate fear behaviors. However, defining the precise role of cholecystokinin-expressing INs (CCK INs) remains elusive due to the technical challenge of parsing this population from CCK-expressing principal neurons (CCK PNs). Here, we used an intersectional genetic strategy in CCK-Cre;Dlx5/6-Flpe double-transgenic mice to study the anatomical, molecular and electrophysiological properties of CCK INs in the basal amygdala (BA) and optogenetically manipulate these cells during fear extinction. Electrophysiological recordings confirmed that this strategy targeted GABAergic cells and that a significant proportion expressed functional cannabinoid CB1 receptors; a defining characteristic of CCK-expressing basket cells. However, immunostaining showed that subsets of the genetically-targeted cells expressed either neuropeptide Y (NPY; 29%) or parvalbumin (PV; 17%), but not somatostatin (SOM) or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-α. Further morphological and electrophysiological analyses showed that four IN types could be identified among the EYFP-expressing cells: CCK/cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R)-expressing basket cells, neurogliaform cells, PV+ basket cells, and PV+ axo-axonic cells. At the behavioral level, in vivo optogenetic photostimulation of the targeted population during extinction acquisition led to reduced freezing on a light-free extinction retrieval test, indicating extinction memory facilitation; whereas photosilencing was without effect. Conversely, non-selective (i.e., inclusive of INs and PNs) photostimulation or photosilencing of CCK-targeted cells, using CCK-Cre single-transgenic mice, impaired extinction. These data reveal an unexpectedly high degree of phenotypic complexity in a unique population of extinction-modulating BA INs.
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60
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Reinhard SM, Rais M, Afroz S, Hanania Y, Pendi K, Espinoza K, Rosenthal R, Binder DK, Ethell IM, Razak KA. Reduced perineuronal net expression in Fmr1 KO mice auditory cortex and amygdala is linked to impaired fear-associated memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 164:107042. [PMID: 31326533 PMCID: PMC7519848 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.107042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a leading cause of heritable intellectual disability and autism. Humans with FXS show anxiety, sensory hypersensitivity and impaired learning. The mechanisms of learning impairments can be studied in the mouse model of FXS, the Fmr1 KO mouse, using tone-associated fear memory paradigms. Our previous study reported impaired development of parvalbumin (PV) positive interneurons and perineuronal nets (PNN) in the auditory cortex of Fmr1 KO mice. A recent study suggested PNN dynamics in the auditory cortex following tone-shock association is necessary for fear expression. Together these data suggest that abnormal PNN regulation may underlie tone-fear association learning deficits in Fmr1 KO mice. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying PV and PNN expression in the amygdala, hippocampus and auditory cortex of Fmr1 KO mice following fear conditioning. We found impaired tone-associated memory formation in Fmr1 KO mice. This was paralleled by impaired learning-associated regulation of PNNs in the superficial layers of auditory cortex in Fmr1 KO mice. PV cell density decreased in the auditory cortex in response to fear conditioning in both WT and Fmr1 KO mice. Learning-induced increase of PV expression in the CA3 hippocampus was only observed in WT mice. We also found reduced PNN density in the amygdala and auditory cortex of Fmr1 KO mice in all conditions, as well as reduced PNN intensity in CA2 hippocampus. There was a positive correlation between tone-associated memory and PNN density in the amygdala and auditory cortex, consistent with a tone-association deficit. Altogether our studies suggest a link between impaired PV and PNN regulation within specific regions of the fear conditioning circuit and impaired tone memory formation in Fmr1 KO mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Reinhard
- Psychology Department and Psychology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Maham Rais
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Sonia Afroz
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Yasmien Hanania
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Kasim Pendi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Katherine Espinoza
- Psychology Department and Psychology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Robert Rosenthal
- Psychology Department and Psychology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Devin K Binder
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Iryna M Ethell
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Khaleel A Razak
- Psychology Department and Psychology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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61
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Kasugai Y, Vogel E, Hörtnagl H, Schönherr S, Paradiso E, Hauschild M, Göbel G, Milenkovic I, Peterschmitt Y, Tasan R, Sperk G, Shigemoto R, Sieghart W, Singewald N, Lüthi A, Ferraguti F. Structural and Functional Remodeling of Amygdala GABAergic Synapses in Associative Fear Learning. Neuron 2019; 104:781-794.e4. [PMID: 31543297 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning is thought to involve different forms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Although previous studies have mostly focused on learning-related changes occurring at excitatory glutamatergic synapses, we found that associative learning, such as fear conditioning, also entails long-lasting functional and structural plasticity of GABAergic synapses onto pyramidal neurons of the murine basal amygdala. Fear conditioning-mediated structural remodeling of GABAergic synapses was associated with a change in mIPSC kinetics and an increase in the fraction of synaptic benzodiazepine-sensitive (BZD) GABAA receptors containing the α2 subunit without altering the intrasynaptic distribution and overall amount of BZD-GABAA receptors. These structural and functional synaptic changes were partly reversed by extinction training. These findings provide evidence that associative learning, such as Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction, sculpts inhibitory synapses to regulate inhibition of active neuronal networks, a process that may tune amygdala circuit responses to threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Kasugai
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Vogel
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Heide Hörtnagl
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Sabine Schönherr
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Enrica Paradiso
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Markus Hauschild
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Georg Göbel
- Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Ivan Milenkovic
- Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Yvan Peterschmitt
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria; Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Ramon Tasan
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Günther Sperk
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Ryuichi Shigemoto
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria
| | - Werner Sieghart
- Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel 4058, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Ferraguti
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria.
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62
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Velasco ER, Florido A, Milad MR, Andero R. Sex differences in fear extinction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:81-108. [PMID: 31129235 PMCID: PMC6692252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exponential increase in fear research during the last years, few studies have included female subjects in their design. The need to include females arises from the knowledge gap of mechanistic processes underlying the behavioral and neural differences observed in fear extinction. Moreover, the exact contribution of sex and hormones in relation to learning and behavior is still largely unknown. Insights from this field could be beneficial as fear-related disorders are twice as prevalent in women compared to men. Here, we review an up-to-date summary of animal and human studies in adulthood that report sex differences in fear extinction from a structural and functional approach. Furthermore, we describe how these factors could contribute to the observed sex differences in fear extinction during normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - M R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - R Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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63
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Khalaf O, Gräff J. Reactivation of Recall-Induced Neurons in the Infralimbic Cortex and the Basolateral Amygdala After Remote Fear Memory Attenuation. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:70. [PMID: 31057365 PMCID: PMC6481183 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether the attenuation of traumatic memories is mediated through the suppression of the original memory trace of fear by a new memory trace of safety, or through an updating of the original fear trace towards safety has been a long-standing question at the interface of neuroscience and psychology. This matter is of particular importance for remote fear memories as they lie at the core of stress- and anxiety-related disorders. Recently, we have found that in the dentate gyrus, the effective attenuation of remote fear memories is accompanied by a reactivation of memory recall-induced neurons and that the continued activity of these neurons is critical for fear reduction. However, whether this also applies to other brain areas implicated in the storage of remote fear memories remains to be determined. Here, we show-by cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity using fluorescence in situ hybridization-that such reactivation also occurs in the basolateral amygdala and the infralimbic cortex, two brain areas known to be involved in fear memory attenuation. These results provide further experimental support for effective traumatic memory attenuation likely being mediated by an updating of the original fear trace towards safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossama Khalaf
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Gräff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Cardenas A, Blanca M, Dimitrov E. Persistent pain intensifies recall of consolidated fear memories. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 10:100163. [PMID: 31193505 PMCID: PMC6535623 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ensembles of principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) generate the initial engrams for fear memories, while projections from the BLA to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are essential for the encoding, transfer and storage of remote fear memories. We tested the effects of chronic pain on remote fear memories in mice. Male mice underwent classic fear conditioning by pairing a single tone (conditional stimulus, CS) with a single electric foot shock (unconditional stimulus, US). Sciatic nerve constriction was used to induce neuropathic pain at various time points before or after the fear conditioning. The mice with sciatic nerve cuffs implanted 48 h after the fear conditioning showed an increased freezing response to CS when compared to mice without cuffs or when compared to mice in which the nerve cuffing was performed 48 h before the fear conditioning. The enhancing effect of pain on consolidated fear memory was further tested and mice in which the nerve cuffing was performed 14 days after the fear conditioning also showed an increased fear response when tested 56 days later. We used immunostaining to detect morphological changes in the BLA that could suggest a mechanism for the observed increase in fear response. We found an increased number of calbindin/parvalbumin positive neurons in the BLA and increased perisomatic density of GAD65 on projection neurons that connect BLA to mPFC in mice with nerve cuffs. Despite the strong increase of c-Fos expression in BLA and mPFC that was induced by fear recall, neither the BLA to mPFC nor the mPFC to BLA projection neurons were activated in mice with nerve cuffs. Furthermore, non-injured mice had an increased fear response when BLA to mPFC projections were inhibited by a chemogenetic method. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that persistent pain has a significant impact on consolidated fear memories. Very likely the underlying mechanism for this phenomenon is increased inhibitory input onto the BLA to mPFC projection neurons, possibly from neurons with induced parvalbumin expression. Conceivably, the increased fear response to consolidated fear memory is a harbinger for the later development of anxiety and depression symptoms associated with chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cardenas
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Michelle Blanca
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Eugene Dimitrov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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Distinct hippocampal engrams control extinction and relapse of fear memory. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:753-761. [PMID: 30936555 PMCID: PMC6705137 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0361-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Learned fear often relapses after extinction, suggesting that extinction training generates a new memory that coexists with the original fear memory; however, the mechanisms governing expression of competing fear and extinction memories remain unclear. We used activity-dependent neural tagging to investigate representations of fear and extinction memories in the dentate gyrus (DG). We demonstrate that extinction training suppresses reactivation of context fear engram cells, while activating a second ensemble, a putative extinction engram. Optogenetic inhibition of neurons that were active during extinction training increased fear after extinction training, whereas silencing neurons that were active during fear training reduced spontaneous recovery of fear. Optogenetic stimulation of fear acquisition neurons increased fear, while stimulation of extinction neurons suppressed fear and prevented spontaneous recovery. Our results indicate the hippocampus generates a fear extinction representation and that interactions between hippocampal fear and extinction representations govern suppression and relapse of fear after extinction.
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66
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Nomura H, Teshirogi C, Nakayama D, Minami M, Ikegaya Y. Prior observation of fear learning enhances subsequent self-experienced fear learning with an overlapping neuronal ensemble in the dorsal hippocampus. Mol Brain 2019; 12:21. [PMID: 30871580 PMCID: PMC6419346 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0443-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Information from direct experience and observation of others is integrated in the brain to enable appropriate responses to environmental stimuli. Fear memory can be acquired by observing a conspecific’s distress. However, it remains unclear how prior fear observation affects self-experienced fear learning. In this study, we tested whether prior observation of a conspecific receiving contextual fear conditioning affects subsequent self-experienced fear conditioning and how neuronal ensembles represent the integration of the observation and self-experience. Test mice observed demonstrator mice experiencing fear conditioning on day 1 and directly experienced fear conditioning on day 2. Contextual fear memory was tested on day 3. The prior observation of fear conditioning promoted subsequent self-experienced fear conditioning in a hippocampus-dependent manner. We visualized hippocampal neurons that were activated during the observation and self-experience of fear conditioning and found that self-experienced fear conditioning preferentially activated dorsal CA1 neurons that were activated during the observation. When mice observed and directly experienced fear conditioning in different contexts, preferential reactivation was not observed in the CA1, and fear memory was not enhanced. These findings indicate that dorsal CA1 neuronal ensembles that were activated during both the observation and self-experience of fear learning are implicated in the integration of observation and self-experience for strengthening fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Nomura
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Nishi 6, Kita 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan. .,Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Chie Teshirogi
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Daisuke Nakayama
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masabumi Minami
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Nishi 6, Kita 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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67
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Lucas EK, Wu WC, Roman-Ortiz C, Clem RL. Prazosin during fear conditioning facilitates subsequent extinction in male C57Bl/6N mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:273-279. [PMID: 30112577 PMCID: PMC6374171 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Recovery from a traumatic experience requires extinction of cue-based fear responses, a process that is impaired in post-traumatic stress disorder. While studies suggest a link between fear behavioral flexibility and noradrenaline signaling, the role of specific receptors and brain regions in these effects is unclear. OBJECTIVES Here, we examine the role of prazosin, an α1-adrenergic receptor (α1-AR) antagonist, in auditory fear conditioning and extinction. METHODS C57Bl/6N mice were subjected to auditory fear conditioning and extinction in combination with systemic (0.1-2 mg/kg) or local microinjections (3 or 6 mM) of the α1-AR antagonist prazosin into the prelimbic division of medial prefrontal cortex or basolateral amygdala. Conditioned fear and anxiety-like behaviors were compared with vehicle-injected control animals. RESULTS Mice that received systemic prazosin prior to fear conditioning exhibited similar initial levels of cue-elicited freezing compared to vehicle controls on the following day. However, at all doses tested, fear that was acquired during prazosin treatment was more readily extinguished, whereas anxiety-like behavior on the day of extinction was unaffected. A similar pattern of results was observed when prazosin was microinjected into the basolateral amygdala but not the prelimbic cortex. In contrast to pre-conditioning injections, prazosin administration prior to extinction had no effect on freezing. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that α1-AR activity during aversive conditioning is dispensable for memory acquisition but renders conditioned fear more impervious to extinction. This suggests that behavioral flexibility is constrained by noradrenaline at the time of initial learning via activation of a specific AR isoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Lucas
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1065, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Wan-Chen Wu
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1065, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ciorana Roman-Ortiz
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1065, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Roger L Clem
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1065, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Abstract
RATIONALE The experience of strong traumata leads to the formation of enduring fear memories that may degenerate into post-traumatic stress disorder. One of the most successful treatments for this condition consists of extinction training during which the repeated exposure to trauma-inducing stimuli in a safe environment results in an attenuation of the fearful component of trauma-related memories. While numerous studies have investigated the neural substrates of recent (e.g., 1-day-old) fear memory attenuation, much less is known about the neural networks mediating the attenuation of remote (e.g., 30-day-old) fear memories. Since extinction training becomes less effective when applied long after the original encoding of the traumatic memory, this represents an important gap in memory research. OBJECTIVES Here, we aimed to generate a comprehensive map of brain activation upon effective remote fear memory attenuation in the mouse. METHODS We developed an efficient extinction training paradigm for 1-month-old contextual fear memory attenuation and performed cFos immunohistochemistry and network connectivity analyses on a set of cortical, amygdalar, thalamic, and hippocampal regions. RESULTS Remote fear memory attenuation induced cFos in the prelimbic cortex, the basolateral amygdala, the nucleus reuniens of the thalamus, and the ventral fields of the hippocampal CA1 and CA3. All these structures were equally recruited by remote fear memory recall, but not by the recall of a familiar neutral context. CONCLUSION These results suggest that progressive fear attenuation mediated by repetitive exposure is accompanied by sustained neuronal activation and not reverted to a pre-conditioning brain state. These findings contribute to the identification of brain areas as targets for therapeutic approaches against traumatic memories.
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Summers CH, Yaeger JDW, Staton CD, Arendt DH, Summers TR. Orexin/hypocretin receptor modulation of anxiolytic and antidepressive responses during social stress and decision-making: Potential for therapy. Brain Res 2018; 1731:146085. [PMID: 30590027 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hypothalmic orexin/hypocretin (Orx) neurons in the lateral and dorsomedial perifornical region (LH-DMH/PeF) innervate broadly throughout the brain, and receive similar inputs. This wide distribution, as well as two Orx peptides (OrxA and OrxB) and two Orx receptors (Orx1 and Orx2) allow for functionally related but distinctive behavioral outcomes, that include arousal, sleep-wake regulation, food seeking, metabolism, feeding, reward, addiction, and learning. These are all motivational functions, and tie the orexin systems to anxiety and depression as well. We present evidence, that for affective behavior, Orx1 and Orx2 receptors appear to have opposing functions. The majority of research on anxiety- and depression-related outcomes has focused on Orx1 receptors, which appear to have primarily anxiogenic and pro-depressive actions. Although there is significant research suggesting contrary findings, the primary potential for pharmacotherapies linked to the Orx1 receptor is via antagonists to block anxious and depressive behavior. Dual orexin receptor antagonists have been approved for treatment of sleep disorders, and are likely candidates for adaptation for affect disorder treatments. However, we present evidence here that demonstrates the Orx2 receptors are anxiolytic and antidepressive. Using a new experimental pre-clinical model of anxious and depressive behavior stimulated by social stress and decision-making that produces two stable behavioral phenotypes, Escape/Resilient and Stay/Susceptible, we tested the effects of intracerebroventricular injections of Orx2 agonist and antagonist drugs. Over ten behavioral measures, we have demonstrated that Orx2 agonists promote resilience, as well as anxiolytic and antidepressive behavior. In contrast, Orx2 antagonists or knockdown kindle anxious and pro-depressive behavior plus increase susceptibility. The results suggest that the Orx2 receptor may be a useful target for pharmacotherapies to treat anxiety and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA.
| | - Jazmine D W Yaeger
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
| | - Clarissa D Staton
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
| | - David H Arendt
- Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA
| | - Tangi R Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA; Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
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70
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Orederu T, Schiller D. Fast and slow extinction pathways in defensive survival circuits. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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71
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Synaptic encoding of fear memories in the amygdala. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 54:54-59. [PMID: 30216780 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Over the years Pavlovian fear conditioning has proved to be a powerful model to investigate the neural underpinnings of aversive associative memory formation. Although it is well appreciated that plasticity occurring at excitatory synapses within the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in associative memory formation, recent evidence suggests that plasticity within the amygdala is more distributed than previously appreciated. In particular, studies demonstrate that plasticity in the central nucleus (CeA) is critical for the acquisition of conditioned fear. In addition, a variety of interneuron populations within the amygdala, defined by unique neurochemical markers, contribute to distinct aspects of stimulus processing and memory formation during fear conditioning. Here, we will review and summarize recent advances in our understanding of amygdala networks and how unique players within this network contribute to synaptic plasticity associated with the acquisition of conditioned fear.
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72
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Davis P, Reijmers LG. The dynamic nature of fear engrams in the basolateral amygdala. Brain Res Bull 2018; 141:44-49. [PMID: 29269319 PMCID: PMC6005719 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Great progress has been made in our understanding of how so-called memory engrams in the brain enable the storage and retrieval of memories. This has led to the realization that across the lifetime of an animal, the spatial and temporal properties of a memory engram are not fixed, but instead are subjected to dynamic modifications that can be both dependent and independent on additional experiences. The dynamic nature of engrams is especially relevant in the case of fear memories, whose contributions to an animal's evolutionary fitness depend on a delicate balance of stability and flexibility. Though fear memories have the potential to last a lifetime, their expression also needs to be properly tuned to prevent maladaptive behavior, such as seen in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. To achieve this balance, fear engrams are subjected to complex spatiotemporal dynamics, making them informative examples of the "dynamic engram". In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the dynamic nature of fear engrams in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region that plays a central role in fear memory encoding and expression. We propose that this understanding can be further advanced by studying how fast dynamics, such as oscillatory circuit activity, support the storage and retrieval of fear engrams that can be stable over long time intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Leon G Reijmers
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
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Lucas EK, Clem RL. GABAergic interneurons: The orchestra or the conductor in fear learning and memory? Brain Res Bull 2018; 141:13-19. [PMID: 29197563 PMCID: PMC6178932 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is a form of associative learning that is fundamental to survival and involves potentiation of activity in excitatory projection neurons (PNs). Current models stipulate that the mechanisms underlying this process involve plasticity of PN synapses, which exhibit strengthening in response to fear conditioning. However, excitatory PNs are extensively modulated by a diverse array of GABAergic interneurons whose contributions to acquisition, storage, and expression of fear memory remain poorly understood. Here we review emerging evidence that genetically-defined interneurons play important subtype-specific roles in processing of fear-related stimuli and that these dynamics shape PN firing through both inhibition and disinhibition. Furthermore, interneurons exhibit structural, molecular, and electrophysiological evidence of fear learning-induced synaptic plasticity. These studies warrant discarding the notion of interneurons as passive bystanders in long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Lucas
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States
| | - Roger L Clem
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States.
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74
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Zhou C, Zhou Z, Han Y, Lei Z, Li L, Montardy Q, Liu X, Xu F, Wang L. Activation of parvalbumin interneurons in anterior cingulate cortex impairs observational fear. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2018; 63:771-778. [PMID: 36658951 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2018.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The ability to detect conspecific's distress is crucial for animal survival. In rodent models, observational fear (OF) occurs when one animal perceives another fear related negative emotions, which may model certain behaviors caused by witnessing traumatic experiences in humans. Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been showed to play a crucial role in OF. However, cellular and neural circuit basis relating to ACC governing OF is poorly understood. Here, we used Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by a Designer Drug (DREADD) system to investigate the cell type specific circuit mechanism of ACC in OF. Firstly, inhibitory hM4D (Gi) designer receptor together with clozapine N-oxide (CNO) injection was applied to inactivate ACC neurons in the observer mice. We found that, chemogenetic inhibition of ACC resulted in a decreased freezing response in the observer mice. Next, combining PV-ires-Cre mice and Cre-dependent DREADD system, we selectively targeted the ACC parvalbumin (PV) interneurons with the excitatory hM3D (Gq) designer receptor. Activation of ACC PV interneurons following CNO injection reduced freezing response in the observer mice, while had no effect on freezing response in the demonstrator mice. Finally, monosynaptic rabies retrograde tracing revealed that ACC PV interneurons receive inputs from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) and the ventromedial thalamic nucleus (VM), both known for their roles in OF. Taken together, these findings reveal that ACC activation is important for OF, during which PV interneurons in ACC play an important regulatory role. Abnormal function of ACC PV interneurons might contribute to the pathology of empathy- deficits related diseases, such as autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunran Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zheng Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yushui Han
- Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510168, China
| | - Zhuogui Lei
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lei Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Quentin Montardy
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems and State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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75
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Siucinska E, Brutkowski W, Bernas T. CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Expression in the Barrel Field Region Is Associated with Mouse Learning. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29537813 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We found previously that fear conditioning by combined stimulation of a row B facial vibrissae (conditioned stimulus, CS) with a tail shock (unconditioned stimulus, UCS) leads to expansion of the cortical representation of the "trained" row, labeled with 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), in the layer IIIb/IV of the adult mouse the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) 24 h later. We have observed that these learning-dependent plastic changes are manifested by increased expression of somatostatin, cholecystokinin (SST+, CCK+) but not parvalbumin (PV+) immunopositive interneurons We have expanded this research and quantified a numerical value of CB1-expressing and PV-expressing GABAergic axon terminals (CB1+ and PV+ immunopositive puncta) that innervate different segments of postsynaptic cells in the barrel hollows of S1 cortex. We used 3D microscopy to identify the CB+ and PV+ puncta in the barrel cortex "trained" and the control hemispheres CS+UCS group and in controls: Pseudoconditioned, CS-only, UCS-only, and naive animals. We have identified that (i) the association between whisker-shock "trained" barrel B hollows and CB1+, but not PV+ puncta expression remained significant after Bonferroni correction, (ii) CS+UCS has had a significant increasing effect on expression of CB1+ but not PV+ puncta in barrel cortex "trained" hemisphere, and (iii) the pseudoconditioning had a significant decreasing effect on expression of CB1+, but not on PV+ puncta in barrel cortex, both trained and untrained hemispheres. It is correlated to disturbing behaviors. The results suggest that CB1+ puncta regulation is specifically linked with mechanisms leading to learning-dependent plasticity in S1 cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Siucinska
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Str., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Brutkowski
- Laboratory of Imaging Tissue Structure and Function Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Str., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tytus Bernas
- Laboratory of Imaging Tissue Structure and Function Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Str., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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76
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Khalaf O, Resch S, Dixsaut L, Gorden V, Glauser L, Gräff J. Reactivation of recall-induced neurons contributes to remote fear memory attenuation. Science 2018; 360:1239-1242. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aas9875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Whether fear attenuation is mediated by inhibition of the original memory trace of fear with a new memory trace of safety or by updating of the original fear trace toward safety has been a long-standing question in neuroscience and psychology alike. In particular, which of the two scenarios underlies the attenuation of remote (month-old) fear memories is completely unknown, despite the impetus to better understand this process against the backdrop of enduring traumata. We found—chemogenetically and in an engram-specific manner—that effective remote fear attenuation is accompanied by the reactivation of memory recall–induced neurons in the dentate gyrus and that the continued activity of these neurons is critical for fear reduction. This suggests that the original memory trace of fear actively contributes to remote fear attenuation.
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77
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Krabbe S, Gründemann J, Lüthi A. Amygdala Inhibitory Circuits Regulate Associative Fear Conditioning. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:800-809. [PMID: 29174478 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Associative memory formation is essential for an animal's survival by ensuring adaptive behavioral responses in an ever-changing environment. This is particularly important under conditions of immediate threats such as in fear learning. One of the key brain regions involved in associative fear learning is the amygdala. The basolateral amygdala is the main entry site for sensory information to the amygdala complex, and local plasticity in excitatory basolateral amygdala principal neurons is considered to be crucial for learning of conditioned fear responses. However, activity and plasticity of excitatory circuits are tightly controlled by local inhibitory interneurons in a spatially and temporally defined manner. In this review, we provide an updated view on how distinct interneuron subtypes in the basolateral amygdala contribute to the acquisition and extinction of conditioned fear memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Krabbe
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Gründemann
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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78
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McDonald AJ, Hamilton PG, Barnstable CJ. Perineuronal nets labeled by monoclonal antibody VC1.1 ensheath interneurons expressing parvalbumin and calbindin in the rat amygdala. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:1133-1148. [PMID: 29094304 PMCID: PMC5871560 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1542-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are specialized condensations of extracellular matrix that ensheath particular neuronal subpopulations in the brain and spinal cord. PNNs regulate synaptic plasticity, including the encoding of fear memories by the amygdala. The present immunohistochemical investigation studied PNN structure and distribution, as well as the neurochemistry of their ensheathed neurons, in the rat amygdala using monoclonal antibody VC1.1, which recognizes a glucuronic acid 3-sulfate glycan associated with PNNs in the cerebral cortex. VC1.1+ PNNs surrounded the cell bodies and dendrites of a subset of nonpyramidal neurons in cortex-like portions of the amygdala (basolateral amygdalar complex, cortical nuclei, nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, and amygdalohippocampal region). There was also significant neuropilar VC1.1 immunoreactivity, whose density varied in different amygdalar nuclei. Cell counts in the basolateral nucleus revealed that virtually all neurons ensheathed by VC1.1+ PNNs were parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons, and these VC1.1+/PV+ cells constituted 60% of all PV+ interneurons, including all of the larger PV+ neurons. Approximately 70% of VC1.1+ neurons were calbindin-positive (CB+), and these VC1.1+/CB+ cells constituted about 40% of all CB+ neurons. Colocalization of VC1.1 with Vicia villosa agglutinin (VVA) binding, which stains terminal N-acetylgalactosamines, revealed that VC1.1+ PNNs were largely a subset of VVA+ PNNs. This investigation provides baseline data regarding PNNs in the rat which should be useful for future studies of their function in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - Patricia G Hamilton
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Colin J Barnstable
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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79
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80
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Qi CC, Wang QJ, Ma XZ, Chen HC, Gao LP, Yin J, Jing YH. Interaction of basolateral amygdala, ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex regulates the consolidation and extinction of social fear. Behav Brain Funct 2018; 14:7. [PMID: 29554926 PMCID: PMC5858134 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-018-0139-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Following a social defeat, the balanced establishment and extinction of aversive information is a beneficial strategy for individual survival. Abnormal establishment or extinction is implicated in the development of mental disorders. This study investigated the time course of the establishment and extinction of aversive information from acute social defeat and the temporal responsiveness of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), ventral hippocampus (vHIP) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in this process. Methods Mouse models of acute social defeat were established by using the resident–intruder paradigm. To evaluate the engram of social defeat, the intruder mice were placed into the novel context at designated time to test the social behavior. Furthermore, responses of BLA, vHIP and mPFC were investigated by analyzing the expression of immediate early genes, such as zif268, arc, and c-fos. Results The results showed after an aggressive attack, aversive memory was maintained for approximately 7 days before gradually diminishing. The establishment and maintenance of aversive stimulation were consistently accompanied by BLA activity. By contrast, vHIP and mPFC response was inhibited from this process. Additionally, injecting muscimol (Mus), a GABA receptor agonist, into the BLA alleviated the freezing behavior and social fear and avoidance. Simultaneously, Mus treatment decreased the zif268 and arc expression in BLA, but it increased their expression in vHIP. Conclusion Our data support and extend earlier findings that implicate BLA, vHIP and mPFC in social defeat. The time courses of the establishment and extinction of social defeat are particularly consistent with the contrasting BLA and vHIP responses involved in this process.![]() Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12993-018-0139-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu-Chu Qi
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing-Jun Wang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Zhu Ma
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Chao Chen
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Ping Gao
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Yin
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Hong Jing
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, No. 199 of Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China.
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81
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Abstract
Input specificity is a fundamental property of long-term potentiation (LTP), but it is not known if learning is mediated by synapse-specific plasticity. Kim and Cho (2017) now show that fear conditioning is mediated by synapse-specific LTP in the amygdala, allowing animals to discriminate stimuli that predict threat from those that do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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82
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Temme SJ, Murphy GG. The L-type voltage-gated calcium channel Ca V1.2 mediates fear extinction and modulates synaptic tone in the lateral amygdala. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 24:580-588. [PMID: 29038219 PMCID: PMC5647931 DOI: 10.1101/lm.045773.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (LVGCCs) have been implicated in both the formation and the reduction of fear through Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction. Despite the implication of LVGCCs in fear learning and extinction, studies of the individual LVGCC subtypes, CaV1.2 and CaV1.3, using transgenic mice have failed to find a role of either subtype in fear extinction. This discontinuity between the pharmacological studies of LVGCCs and the studies investigating individual subtype contributions could be due to the limited neuronal deletion pattern of the CaV1.2 conditional knockout mice previously studied to excitatory neurons in the forebrain. To investigate the effects of deletion of CaV1.2 in all neuronal populations, we generated CaV1.2 conditional knockout mice using the synapsin1 promoter to drive Cre recombinase expression. Pan-neuronal deletion of CaV1.2 did not alter basal anxiety or fear learning. However, pan-neuronal deletion of CaV1.2 resulted in a significant deficit in extinction of contextual fear, implicating LVGCCs, specifically CaV1.2, in extinction learning. Further exploration on the effects of deletion of CaV1.2 on inhibitory and excitatory input onto the principle neurons of the lateral amygdala revealed a significant shift in inhibitory/excitatory balance. Together these data illustrate an important role of CaV1.2 in fear extinction and the synaptic regulation of activity within the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Temme
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
| | - Geoffrey G Murphy
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA.,Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA.,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
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83
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Davis P, Zaki Y, Maguire J, Reijmers LG. Cellular and oscillatory substrates of fear extinction learning. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:1624-1633. [PMID: 28967909 PMCID: PMC5940487 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian brain contains dedicated circuits for both the learned expression and suppression of fear. These circuits require precise coordination to facilitate the appropriate expression of fear behavior, but the mechanisms underlying this coordination remain unclear. Using a novel combination of chemogenetics, activity-based neuronal-ensemble labeling, and in vivo electrophysiology, we found that fear extinction learning confers parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) with a dedicated role in the selective suppression of a previously encoded fear memory and BLA fear-encoding neurons. In addition, following extinction learning, PV interneurons enable a competing interaction between a 6–12 Hz oscillation and a fear-associated 3–6 Hz oscillation within the BLA. Loss of this competition increases a 3–6 Hz oscillatory signature, with BLA→mPFC directionality signaling the recurrence of fear expression. The discovery of cellular and oscillatory substrates of fear extinction learning that critically depend on BLA PV-interneurons could inform therapies aimed at preventing the pathological recurrence of fear following extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program and Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yosif Zaki
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Leon G Reijmers
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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84
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Sex- and Estrus-Dependent Differences in Rat Basolateral Amygdala. J Neurosci 2017; 37:10567-10586. [PMID: 28954870 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0758-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are diagnosed almost twice as often in women, and the symptomology differs in men and women and is sensitive to sex hormones. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) contributes to emotion-related behaviors that differ between males and females and across the reproductive cycle. This hints at sex- or estrus-dependent features of BLA function, about which very little is known. The purpose of this study was to test whether there are sex differences or estrous cyclicity in rat BLA physiology and to determine their mechanistic correlates. We found substantial sex differences in the activity of neurons in lateral nuclei (LAT) and basal nuclei (BA) of the BLA that were associated with greater excitatory synaptic input in females. We also found strong differences in the activity of LAT and BA neurons across the estrous cycle. These differences were associated with a shift in the inhibition-excitation balance such that LAT had relatively greater inhibition during proestrus which paralleled more rapid cued fear extinction. In contrast, BA had relatively greater inhibition during diestrus that paralleled more rapid contextual fear extinction. These results are the first to demonstrate sex differences in BLA neuronal activity and the impact of estrous cyclicity on these measures. The shift between LAT and BA predominance across the estrous cycle provides a simple construct for understanding the effects of the estrous cycle on BLA-dependent behaviors. These results provide a novel framework to understand the cyclicity of emotional memory and highlight the importance of considering ovarian cycle when studying the BLA of females.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT There are differences in emotional responses and many psychiatric symptoms between males and females. This may point to sex differences in limbic brain regions. Here we demonstrate sex differences in neuronal activity in one key limbic region, the basolateral amygdala (BLA), whose activity fluctuates across the estrous cycle due to a shift in the balance of inhibition and excitation across two BLA regions, the lateral and basal nuclei. By uncovering this push-pull shift between lateral and basal nuclei, these results help to explain disparate findings about the effects of biological sex and estrous cyclicity on emotion and provide a framework for understanding fluctuations in emotional memory and psychiatric symptoms.
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85
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Vogel E, Krabbe S, Gründemann J, Wamsteeker Cusulin JI, Lüthi A. Projection-Specific Dynamic Regulation of Inhibition in Amygdala Micro-Circuits. Neuron 2017; 91:644-51. [PMID: 27497223 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R)-expressing CCK interneurons are key regulators of cortical circuits. Here we report that retrograde endocannabinoid signaling and CB1R-mediated regulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission onto basal amygdala principal neurons strongly depend on principal neuron projection target. Projection-specific asymmetries in the regulation of local inhibitory micro-circuits may contribute to the selective activation of distinct amygdala output pathways during behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Vogel
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4000 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Krabbe
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Gründemann
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Andreas Lüthi
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4000 Basel, Switzerland.
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86
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McGowan JC, LaGamma CT, Lim SC, Tsitsiklis M, Neria Y, Brachman RA, Denny CA. Prophylactic Ketamine Attenuates Learned Fear. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1577-1589. [PMID: 28128336 PMCID: PMC5518899 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ketamine has been reported to be an efficacious antidepressant for major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Most recently, ketamine has also been shown to be prophylactic against stress-induced depressive-like behavior in mice. It remains unknown, however, when ketamine should be administered relative to a stressor in order to maximize its antidepressant and/or prophylactic effects. Moreover, it is unknown whether ketamine can be prophylactic against subsequent stressors. We systematically administered ketamine at different time points relative to a fear experience, in order to determine when ketamine is most effective at reducing fear expression or preventing fear reactivation. Using a contextual fear conditioning (CFC) paradigm, mice were administered a single dose of saline or ketamine (30 mg/kg) at varying time points before or after CFC. Mice administered prophylactic ketamine 1 week, but not 1 month or 1 h before CFC, exhibited reduced freezing behavior when compared with mice administered saline. In contrast, ketamine administration following CFC or during extinction did not alter subsequent fear expression. However, ketamine administered before reinstatement increased the number of rearing bouts in an open field, possibly suggesting an increase in attentiveness. These data indicate that ketamine can buffer a fear response when given a week before as prophylactic, but not when given immediately before or after a stress-inducing episode. Thus, ketamine may be most useful in the clinic if administered in a prophylactic manner 1 week before a stressor, in order to protect against heightened fear responses to aversive stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine C McGowan
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina T LaGamma
- Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Division of Integrative Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean C Lim
- Division of Integrative Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, USA
| | - Melina Tsitsiklis
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuval Neria
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NYSPI Kolb Research Annex, New York, NY, USA,Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca A Brachman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NYSPI Kolb Research Annex, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christine A Denny
- Division of Integrative Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NYSPI Kolb Research Annex, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NYSPI Kolb Research Annex, Room 777, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA, Tel: +1 646 774 7100, Fax: +1 646 774 7102, E-mail:
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87
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Neocortical Chandelier Cells Developmentally Shape Axonal Arbors through Reorganization but Establish Subcellular Synapse Specificity without Refinement. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0057-17. [PMID: 28584877 PMCID: PMC5458751 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0057-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse types of cortical interneurons (INs) mediate various kinds of inhibitory control mechanisms to balance and shape network activity. Distinct IN subtypes develop uniquely organized axonal arbors that innervate different subcellular compartments of excitatory principal neurons (PNs), which critically contribute to determining their output properties. However, it remains poorly understood how they establish this peculiar axonal organization and synaptic connectivity during development. Here, taking advantage of genetic labeling of IN progenitors, we examined developmental processes of axonal arbors and synaptic connections formed by murine chandelier cells (ChCs), which innervate axon initial segments (AISs) of PNs and thus powerfully regulate their spike generation. Our quantitative analysis by light microscopy revealed that ChCs overgrow and subsequently refine axonal branches as well as varicosities. Interestingly, we found that although a significant number of axonal varicosities are formed off AISs in addition to on AISs, presynaptic markers are predominantly colocalized with those on AISs throughout development. Immunoelectron microscopic (IEM) analysis also demonstrated that only varicosities apposed to AISs contain presynaptic profiles. These results suggest that subcellular synapse specificity of ChCs is genetically predetermined while axonal geometry is shaped through remodeling. Molecular cues localized at AISs may regulate target recognition and synapse formation by ChCs.
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88
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Wang X, Liu C, Wang X, Gao F, Zhan RZ. Density and neurochemical profiles of neuronal nitric oxide synthase-expressing interneuron in the mouse basolateral amygdala. Brain Res 2017; 1663:106-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Revised: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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89
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Synaptic Plasticity, Engrams, and Network Oscillations in Amygdala Circuits for Storage and Retrieval of Emotional Memories. Neuron 2017; 94:731-743. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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90
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Remmers F, Lange MD, Hamann M, Ruehle S, Pape HC, Lutz B. Addressing sufficiency of the CB1 receptor for endocannabinoid-mediated functions through conditional genetic rescue in forebrain GABAergic neurons. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:3431-3452. [PMID: 28393261 PMCID: PMC5676814 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1411-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Genetic inactivation of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene in different cell types in the brain has previously revealed necessary functions for distinct synaptic plasticity processes and behaviors. Here, we sought to identify CB1 receptor expression sites that are minimally required to reconstruct normal phenotypes. In a CB1-null background, we re-expressed endogenous CB1 receptors in forebrain GABAergic neurons, thereby assessing the sufficiency of CB1 receptors. Depolarization-induced suppression of inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission was restored in hippocampal and amygdalar circuits. GABAergic CB1 receptors did not convey protection against chemically induced seizures, but prevented the spontaneous mortality observed in CB1 null mutants. Rescue of GABAergic CB1 receptors largely restored normal anxiety-like behavior but improved extinction of learned fear only marginally. This study illustrates that the approach of genetic reconstruction of complex behaviors is feasible. It also revealed distinct degrees of modulation for different emotional behaviors by the GABAergic population of CB1 receptors.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Amygdala/physiology
- Animals
- Anxiety
- Behavior, Animal
- Extinction, Psychological
- Fear
- GABAergic Neurons/physiology
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Hippocampus/physiology
- Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Prosencephalon/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Seizures/chemically induced
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Affiliation(s)
- Floortje Remmers
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Maren D Lange
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Martina Hamann
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sabine Ruehle
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hans-Christian Pape
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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91
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Rawson RL, Martin EA, Williams ME. Mechanisms of input and output synaptic specificity: finding partners, building synapses, and fine-tuning communication. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 45:39-44. [PMID: 28388510 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For most neurons to function properly, they need to develop synaptic specificity. This requires finding specific partner neurons, building the correct types of synapses, and fine-tuning these synapses in response to neural activity. Synaptic specificity is common at both a neuron's input and output synapses, whereby unique synapses are built depending on the partnering neuron. Neuroscientists have long appreciated the remarkable specificity of neural circuits but identifying molecular mechanisms mediating synaptic specificity has only recently accelerated. Here, we focus on recent progress in understanding input and output synaptic specificity in the mammalian brain. We review newly identified circuit examples for both and the latest research identifying molecular mediators including Kirrel3, FGFs, and DGLα. Lastly, we expect the pace of research on input and output specificity to continue to accelerate with the advent of new technologies in genomics, microscopy, and proteomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi L Rawson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - E Anne Martin
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Megan E Williams
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, 20 South 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States.
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92
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Trouche S, Dupret D. [Illuminating the brain to rewrite a memory representation]. Med Sci (Paris) 2017; 33:349-351. [PMID: 28367825 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20173303025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Trouche
- MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, Royaume-Uni
| | - David Dupret
- MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, Royaume-Uni
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93
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Calakos KC, Blackman D, Schulz AM, Bauer EP. Distribution of type I corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF1) receptors on GABAergic neurons within the basolateral amygdala. Synapse 2017; 71:10.1002/syn.21953. [PMID: 27997737 PMCID: PMC7876706 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a critical role in mediating anxiety-like responses to stressors, and dysfunction of the CRF system has been linked to the etiology of several psychiatric disorders. Extra-hypothalamic CRF can also modulate learning and memory formation, including amygdala-dependent learning. The basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) contains dense concentrations of CRF receptors, yet the distribution of these receptors on specific neuronal subtypes within the BLA has not been characterized. Here, we quantified the expression of CRF receptors on three nonoverlapping classes of GABAergic interneurons: those containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV), and those expressing the neuropeptides somatostatin (SOM) or cholecystokinin (CCK). While the majority of PV+ neurons and roughly half of CCK+ neurons expressed CRF receptors, they were expressed to a much lesser extent on SOM+ interneurons. Knowledge of the distribution of CRF receptors within the BLA can provide insight into how manipulations of the CRF system modulate fear and anxiety-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katina C Calakos
- Barnard College Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027
| | - Dakota Blackman
- Barnard College Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027
| | - Alexandra M Schulz
- Barnard College Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027
| | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Barnard College Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, New York, 10027
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94
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Saha R, Knapp S, Chakraborty D, Horovitz O, Albrecht A, Kriebel M, Kaphzan H, Ehrlich I, Volkmer H, Richter-Levin G. GABAergic Synapses at the Axon Initial Segment of Basolateral Amygdala Projection Neurons Modulate Fear Extinction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:473-484. [PMID: 27634356 PMCID: PMC5399240 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory synaptic transmission in the amygdala has a pivotal role in fear learning and its extinction. However, the local circuits formed by GABAergic inhibitory interneurons within the amygdala and their detailed function in shaping these behaviors are not well understood. Here we used lentiviral-mediated knockdown of the cell adhesion molecule neurofascin in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to specifically remove inhibitory synapses at the axon initial segment (AIS) of BLA projection neurons. Quantitative analysis of GABAergic synapse markers and measurement of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents in BLA projection neurons after neurofascin knockdown ex vivo confirmed the loss of GABAergic input. We then studied the impact of this manipulation on anxiety-like behavior and auditory cued fear conditioning and its extinction as BLA related behavioral paradigms, as well as on long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ventral subiculum-BLA pathway in vivo. BLA knockdown of neurofascin impaired ventral subiculum-BLA-LTP. While this manipulation did not affect anxiety-like behavior and fear memory acquisition and consolidation, it specifically impaired extinction. Our findings indicate that modification of inhibitory synapses at the AIS of BLA projection neurons is sufficient to selectively impair extinction behavior. A better understanding of the role of distinct GABAergic synapses may provide novel and more specific targets for therapeutic interventions in extinction-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Saha
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Stephanie Knapp
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Graduate School for Neural and Behavioral Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Omer Horovitz
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Anne Albrecht
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Martin Kriebel
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Hanoch Kaphzan
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ingrid Ehrlich
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Volkmer
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel,Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Avenue 199, Haifa 31905, Israel, Tel: +972 48240962, Fax: +972 48288578, E-mail:
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95
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Suto N, Laque A, De Ness GL, Wagner GE, Watry D, Kerr T, Koya E, Mayford MR, Hope BT, Weiss F. Distinct memory engrams in the infralimbic cortex of rats control opposing environmental actions on a learned behavior. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27938664 PMCID: PMC5201415 DOI: 10.7554/elife.21920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflicting evidence exists regarding the role of infralimbic cortex (IL) in the environmental control of appetitive behavior. Inhibition of IL, irrespective of its intrinsic neural activity, attenuates not only the ability of environmental cues predictive of reward availability to promote reward seeking, but also the ability of environmental cues predictive of reward omission to suppress this behavior. Here we report that such bidirectional behavioral modulation in rats is mediated by functionally distinct units of neurons (neural ensembles) that are concurrently localized within the same IL brain area but selectively reactive to different environmental cues. Ensemble-specific neural activity is thought to function as a memory engram representing a learned association between environment and behavior. Our findings establish the causal evidence for the concurrent existence of two distinct engrams within a single brain site, each mediating opposing environmental actions on a learned behavior. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21920.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyoshi Suto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Amanda Laque
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Genna L De Ness
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Grant E Wagner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Debbie Watry
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Tony Kerr
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Eisuke Koya
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Mark R Mayford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Bruce T Hope
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institutes of Health/Intramural Research program, Baltimore, United States
| | - Friedbert Weiss
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, United States
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96
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Yang WZ, Liu TT, Cao JW, Chen XF, Liu X, Wang M, Su X, Zhang SQ, Qiu BL, Hu WX, Liu LY, Ma L, Yu YC. Fear Erasure Facilitated by Immature Inhibitory Neuron Transplantation. Neuron 2016; 92:1352-1367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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97
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Fear of pain in children and adolescents with neuropathic pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Pain 2016; 157 Suppl 1:S90-S97. [PMID: 26785161 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
A significant proportion of children and adolescents with chronic pain endorse elevated pain-related fear. Pain-related fear is associated with high levels of disability, depressive symptoms, and school impairment. Because of faulty nerve signaling, individuals with neuropathic pain and complex regional pain syndrome may be more prone to develop pain-related fear as they avoid use of and neglect the affected body area(s), resulting in exacerbated symptoms, muscle atrophy, maintenance of pain signaling, and ongoing pain-related disability. Not surprisingly, effective treatments for elevated pain-related fears involve exposure to previously avoided activities to downregulate incorrect pain signaling. In the context of intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment of youth with neuropathic pain, decreasing pain-related fear is associated with improved physical and psychological functioning, whereas high initial pain-related fear is a risk factor for less treatment responsiveness. An innovative approach to targeting pain-related fear and evidence of a neural response to treatment involving decoupling of the amygdala with key fear circuits in youth with complex regional pain syndrome suggest breakthroughs in our ability to ameliorate these issues.
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98
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Schmid LC, Mittag M, Poll S, Steffen J, Wagner J, Geis HR, Schwarz I, Schmidt B, Schwarz MK, Remy S, Fuhrmann M. Dysfunction of Somatostatin-Positive Interneurons Associated with Memory Deficits in an Alzheimer's Disease Model. Neuron 2016; 92:114-125. [PMID: 27641495 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive decline and neuronal network dysfunction, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In the hippocampus, microcircuit activity during learning and memory processes is tightly controlled by O-LM interneurons. Here, we investigated the effect of beta-amyloidosis on O-LM interneuron structural and functional connectivity, combining two-photon in vivo imaging of synaptic morphology, awake Ca2+ imaging, and retrograde mono-transsynaptic rabies tracing. We find severely impaired synaptic rewiring that occurs on the O-LM interneuron input and output level in a mouse model of AD. Synaptic rewiring that occurs upon fear learning on O-LM interneuron input level is affected in mice with AD-like pathology. This process requires the release of acetylcholine from septo-hippocampal projections. We identify decreased cholinergic action on O-LM interneurons in APP/PS1 mice as a key pathomechanism that contributes to memory impairment in a mouse model, with potential relevance for human AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena C Schmid
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuel Mittag
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefanie Poll
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Julia Steffen
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jens Wagner
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Hans-Rüdiger Geis
- Neuronal Networks Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Inna Schwarz
- Functional Neuroconnectomics Group, Department of Epileptology, Medical School, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Boris Schmidt
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institute, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Martin K Schwarz
- Functional Neuroconnectomics Group, Department of Epileptology, Medical School, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefan Remy
- Neuronal Networks Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Fuhrmann
- Neuroimmunology and Imaging Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.
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99
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Erasure of fear memories is prevented by Nogo Receptor 1 in adulthood. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1281-9. [PMID: 26619810 PMCID: PMC4887429 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Critical periods are temporary windows of heightened neural plasticity early in development. For example, fear memories in juvenile rodents are subject to erasure following extinction training, while after closure of this critical period, extinction training only temporarily and weakly suppresses fear memories. Persistence of fear memories is important for survival, but the inability to effectively adapt to the trauma is a characteristic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We examined whether Nogo Receptor 1 (NgR1) regulates the plasticity associated with fear extinction. The loss of NgR1 function in adulthood eliminates spontaneous fear recovery and fear renewal, with a restoration of fear reacquisition rate equal to that of naive mice; thus, mimicking the phenotype observed in juvenile rodents. Regional gene disruption demonstrates that NgR1 expression is required in both the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and infralimbic (IL) cortex to prevent fear erasure. NgR1 expression by parvalbumin expressing interneurons is essential for limiting extinction-dependent plasticity. NgR1 gene deletion enhances anatomical changes of inhibitory synapse markers after extinction training. Thus, NgR1 robustly inhibits elimination of fear expression in the adult brain and could serve as a therapeutic target for anxiety disorders, such as PTSD.
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100
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Rashid AJ, Yan C, Mercaldo V, Hsiang HLL, Park S, Cole CJ, De Cristofaro A, Yu J, Ramakrishnan C, Lee SY, Deisseroth K, Frankland PW, Josselyn SA. Competition between engrams influences fear memory formation and recall. Science 2016; 353:383-7. [PMID: 27463673 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf0594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Collections of cells called engrams are thought to represent memories. Although there has been progress in identifying and manipulating single engrams, little is known about how multiple engrams interact to influence memory. In lateral amygdala (LA), neurons with increased excitability during training outcompete their neighbors for allocation to an engram. We examined whether competition based on neuronal excitability also governs the interaction between engrams. Mice received two distinct fear conditioning events separated by different intervals. LA neuron excitability was optogenetically manipulated and revealed a transient competitive process that integrates memories for events occurring closely in time (coallocating overlapping populations of neurons to both engrams) and separates memories for events occurring at distal times (disallocating nonoverlapping populations to each engram).
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Affiliation(s)
- Asim J Rashid
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Chen Yan
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Valentina Mercaldo
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Hwa-Lin Liz Hsiang
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Sungmo Park
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Christina J Cole
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Antonietta De Cristofaro
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Julia Yu
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Soo Yeun Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
| | - Sheena A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 3G3, Canada. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
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