1
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Iglesias LP, Fernandes HB, de Miranda AS, Perez MM, Faccioli LH, Sorgi CA, Bertoglio LJ, Aguiar DC, Wotjak CT, Moreira FA. TRPV1 modulation of contextual fear memory depends on stimulus intensity and endocannabinoid signalling in the dorsal hippocampus. Neuropharmacology 2023; 224:109314. [PMID: 36336070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) channels have been implicated in the modulation of aversive responses. The endocannabinoid anandamide acts as an endogenous TRPV1 agonist, exerting opposite functions at TRPV1 and type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R). Here we tested the hypothesis that hippocampal TRPV1 modulates contextual fear memory retrieval and investigated the influence of the aversive stimulus intensity as well as the role of endocannabinoid signaling. Male C57BL/6J mice were tested for contextual fear memory after low-, moderate-, or high-intensity shock protocols. The selective TRPV1 blockers SB366791 (1-10 nmol) and 6-I-NC (2 nmol) were infused via intra-dorsal hippocampus before the retrieval test session. The local levels of endocannabinoids and Arc and Zif268 mRNAs, involved in synaptic plasticity and memory, were quantified. First, both TRPV1 blockers reduced memory retrieval in animals exposed to moderate or high (but not low) intensity training protocols. In the second series of results, the magnitude of the freezing responses positively correlated with the hippocampal anandamide levels; TRPV1 and CB1R were found co-localized in this brain region; and the CB1R antagonist, AM251, prevented the effects of SB366791. Thus, endocannabinoid signaling possibly mediates the effects of TRPV1 blockers. Finally, inhibition of memory retrieval by TRPV1 blockers increased Arc and Zif268 mRNAs and impaired fear memory reinstatement. In conclusion, the modulation of fear memories by dorsal hippocampal TRPV1 channels may depend on the aversive stimulus intensity and occur via anandamide/CB1 signaling. Moreover, TRPV1 blockers promote Arc and Zif268 transcription, with subsequent attenuation of aversive memory reinstatement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia P Iglesias
- Graduate School in Neuroscience and Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Heliana B Fernandes
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline S de Miranda
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Malena M Perez
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucia H Faccioli
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Sorgi
- Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Leandro J Bertoglio
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Aguiar
- Graduate School in Neuroscience and Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Central Nervous System Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach Riß, Germany
| | - Fabrício A Moreira
- Graduate School in Neuroscience and Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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2
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Xu Z, Geron E, Pérez-Cuesta LM, Bai Y, Gan WB. Generalized extinction of fear memory depends on co-allocation of synaptic plasticity in dendrites. Nat Commun 2023; 14:503. [PMID: 36720872 PMCID: PMC9889816 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35805-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Memories can be modified by new experience in a specific or generalized manner. Changes in synaptic connections are crucial for memory storage, but it remains unknown how synaptic changes associated with different memories are distributed within neuronal circuits and how such distributions affect specific or generalized modification by novel experience. Here we show that fear conditioning with two different auditory stimuli (CS) and footshocks (US) induces dendritic spine elimination mainly on different dendritic branches of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse motor cortex. Subsequent fear extinction causes CS-specific spine formation and extinction of freezing behavior. In contrast, spine elimination induced by fear conditioning with >2 different CS-USs often co-exists on the same dendritic branches. Fear extinction induces CS-nonspecific spine formation and generalized fear extinction. Moreover, activation of somatostatin-expressing interneurons increases the occurrence of spine elimination induced by different CS-USs on the same dendritic branches and facilitates the generalization of fear extinction. These findings suggest that specific or generalized modification of existing memories by new experience depends on whether synaptic changes induced by previous experiences are segregated or co-exist at the level of individual dendritic branches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Xu
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Erez Geron
- Skirball Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Luis M Pérez-Cuesta
- Skirball Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Yang Bai
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Wen-Biao Gan
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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3
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Casares N, Alfaro M, Cuadrado-Tejedor M, Lasarte-Cia A, Navarro F, Vivas I, Espelosin M, Cartas-Cejudo P, Fernández-Irigoyen J, Santamaría E, García-Osta A, Lasarte JJ. Improvement of cognitive function in wild-type and Alzheimer´s disease mouse models by the immunomodulatory properties of menthol inhalation or by depletion of T regulatory cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1130044. [PMID: 37187754 PMCID: PMC10175945 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1130044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A complex network of interactions exists between the olfactory, immune and central nervous systems. In this work we intend to investigate this connection through the use of an immunostimulatory odorant like menthol, analyzing its impact on the immune system and the cognitive capacity in healthy and Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Models. We first found that repeated short exposures to menthol odor enhanced the immune response against ovalbumin immunization. Menthol inhalation also improved the cognitive capacity of immunocompetent mice but not in immunodeficient NSG mice, which exhibited very poor fear-conditioning. This improvement was associated with a downregulation of IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA in the brain´s prefrontal cortex, and it was impaired by anosmia induction with methimazole. Exposure to menthol for 6 months (1 week per month) prevented the cognitive impairment observed in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer. Besides, this improvement was also observed by the depletion or inhibition of T regulatory cells. Treg depletion also improved the cognitive capacity of the APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F Alzheimer´s mouse model. In all cases, the improvement in learning capacity was associated with a downregulation of IL-1β mRNA. Blockade of the IL-1 receptor with anakinra resulted in a significant increase in cognitive capacity in healthy mice as well as in the APP/PS1 model of Alzheimer´s disease. These data suggest an association between the immunomodulatory capacity of smells and their impact on the cognitive functions of the animals, highlighting the potential of odors and immune modulators as therapeutic agents for CNS-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Casares
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Juan José Lasarte, ; Noelia Casares,
| | - María Alfaro
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mar Cuadrado-Tejedor
- Gene Therapy for Neurological Disease Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Aritz Lasarte-Cia
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Flor Navarro
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Isabel Vivas
- Department of Radiology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Espelosin
- Gene Therapy for Neurological Disease Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Paz Cartas-Cejudo
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Joaquín Fernández-Irigoyen
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Enrique Santamaría
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ana García-Osta
- Gene Therapy for Neurological Disease Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Juan José Lasarte
- Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Juan José Lasarte, ; Noelia Casares,
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4
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Stevanovic KD, Fry SA, DeFilipp JMS, Wu N, Bernstein BJ, Cushman JD. Assessing the importance of sex in a hippocampus-dependent behavioral test battery in C57BL/6NTac mice. LEARNING & MEMORY (COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y.) 2022; 29:203-215. [PMID: 35882502 PMCID: PMC9374270 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053599.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Inclusion of male and female subjects in behavioral neuroscience research requires a concerted effort to characterize sex differences in standardized behavioral assays. Sex differences in hippocampus-dependent assays have been widely reported but are still poorly characterized. In the present study, we conducted a parametric analysis of spontaneous alternation, object recognition, and fear conditioning in a commonly used control strain, C57BL/6NTac. Our findings show largely similar performance between males and females across the majority of behavioral end points. However, we identified an important difference in nonassociative fear sensitization, whereby females showed an enhanced fear response to the 75-dB tone that is used as the conditional stimulus. In addition, we observed an impairment in object location performance in females that was ameliorated by more extensive habituation to handling. Together, these findings argue that sex differences in nonassociative fear responses to both novel auditory cues and novel objects need to be considered when designing and interpreting cognitive assays in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, this elevated fear sensitization could serve as a novel approach to model the increased incidence of anxiety disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korey D Stevanovic
- Neurobehavioral Core Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Sydney A Fry
- Neurobehavioral Core Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Jemma M S DeFilipp
- Neurobehavioral Core Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Nicholas Wu
- University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Briana J Bernstein
- Neurobehavioral Core Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Jesse D Cushman
- Neurobehavioral Core Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina 27709, USA
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5
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Yang Y, Wang T, Li X, Zheng X. A novel method to enhance the retention and generalization of extinction memory in humans. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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6
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Wang S, Ichinomiya T, Savchenko P, Devulapalli S, Wang D, Beltz G, Saito T, Saido TC, Wagner SL, Patel HH, Head BP. Age-Dependent Behavioral and Metabolic Assessment of App NL-G-F/NL-G-F Knock-in (KI) Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:909989. [PMID: 35966019 PMCID: PMC9373872 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.909989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria play a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) onset and progression. Traditional transgenic AD mouse models which were widely used in the past decades share a common limitation: The overexpression of APP and overproduction of amyloid-beta (Aβ) are accompanied by other APP peptide fragments, which could introduce artificial and non-clinically relevant phenotypes. Here, we performed an in-depth and time-resolved behavioral and metabolic characterization of a clinically relevant AD mouse model engineered to express normal physiological levels of APP harboring humanized Swedish (K670N/M671L), Beyreuther/Iberian (I716F), and Arctic (E693G) mutations (App NL-G-F/NL-G-F ), termed APP knock-in (APPKI) mice. Our result showed that APPKI mice exhibited fear learning deficits at 6-m age and contextual memory deficit at 12-m age. Histopathological analysis revealed mild amyloidosis (6E10) accompanied by microgliosis (Iba1) as early as 3 months, which progressed significantly together with significant astrocytosis at 6 and 12 m. We further analyzed hippocampal mitochondrial dysfunction by multiple assays, while 3-m APPKI mice brain mitochondrial function remains a similar level as WT mice. Significant mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by decreased ATP production and higher membrane potential with subsequent overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed in mitochondria isolated from 7-m APPKI mice hippocampal tissue. Morphologically, these mitochondria were larger in volume with a decreased level of mitochondrial fusion protein mitofusin-2 (MFN2). At 12 months, APPKI mice exhibit a significantly decreased total mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in isolated hippocampal mitochondria detected by high-resolution respirometry. These data indicate early mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain at pre-symptomatic age in the App NL-G-F/NL-G-mice, which may play a key role in the progression of the disease. Moreover, the identified behavioral and bioenergetic alterations in this clinically relevant AD mouse model provide a valuable tool to optimize the temporal component for therapeutic interventions to treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wang
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Taiga Ichinomiya
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Paul Savchenko
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Swetha Devulapalli
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dongsheng Wang
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Gianna Beltz
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takaomi C. Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Steve L. Wagner
- Neurosciences Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Hemal H. Patel
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brian P. Head
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Brian P. Head
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7
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Cox WR, Faliagkas L, Besseling A, van der Loo RJ, Spijker S, Kindt M, Rao-Ruiz P. Interfering With Contextual Fear Memories by Post-reactivation Administration of Propranolol in Mice: A Series of Null Findings. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:893572. [PMID: 35832291 PMCID: PMC9272000 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.893572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-reactivation amnesia of contextual fear memories by blockade of noradrenergic signaling has been shown to have limited replicability in rodents. This is usually attributed to several boundary conditions that gate the destabilization of memory during its retrieval. How these boundary conditions can be overcome, and what neural mechanisms underlie post-reactivation changes in contextual fear memories remain largely unknown. Here, we report a series of experiments in a contextual fear-conditioning paradigm in mice, that were aimed at solving these issues. We first attempted to obtain a training paradigm that would consistently result in contextual fear memory that could be destabilized upon reactivation, enabling post-retrieval amnesia by the administration of propranolol. Unexpectedly, our attempts were unsuccessful to this end. Specifically, over a series of experiments in which we varied different parameters of the fear acquisition procedure, at best small and inconsistent effects were observed. Additionally, we found that propranolol did not alter retrieval-induced neural activity, as measured by the number of c-Fos+ cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. To determine whether propranolol was perhaps ineffective in interfering with reactivated contextual fear memories, we also included anisomycin (i.e., a potent and well-known amnesic drug) in several experiments, and measures of synaptic glutamate receptor subunit GluA2 (i.e., a marker of memory destabilization). No post-retrieval amnesia by anisomycin and no altered GluA2 expression by reactivation was observed, suggesting that the memories did not undergo destabilization. The null findings are surprising, given that the training paradigms we implemented were previously shown to result in memories that could be modified upon reactivation. Together, our observations illustrate the elusive nature of reactivation-dependent changes in non-human fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter R. Cox
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leonidas Faliagkas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Amber Besseling
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rolinka J. van der Loo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sabine Spijker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
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8
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Namkung H, Thomas KL, Hall J, Sawa A. Parsing neural circuits of fear learning and extinction across basic and clinical neuroscience: Towards better translation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104502. [PMID: 34921863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, studies of fear learning and extinction have advanced our understanding of the neurobiology of threat and safety learning. Animal studies can provide mechanistic/causal insights into human brain regions and their functional connectivity involved in fear learning and extinction. Findings in humans, conversely, may further enrich our understanding of neural circuits in animals by providing macroscopic insights at the level of brain-wide networks. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement in translation between basic and clinical research on fear learning and extinction. Through the lens of neural circuits, in this article, we aim to review the current knowledge of fear learning and extinction in both animals and humans, and to propose strategies to fill in the current knowledge gap for the purpose of enhancing clinical benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Namkung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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9
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Lawson K, Scarlata M, Cho C, Mangan C, Petersen D, Thompson H, Ehnstrom S, Mousley A, Bezek J, Bergstrom H. Adolescence alcohol exposure impairs fear extinction and alters medial prefrontal cortex plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2022; 211:109048. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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10
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Hernández-Mercado K, Zepeda A. Morris Water Maze and Contextual Fear Conditioning Tasks to Evaluate Cognitive Functions Associated With Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:782947. [PMID: 35046769 PMCID: PMC8761726 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.782947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
New neurons are continuously generated and functionally integrated into the dentate gyrus (DG) network during the adult lifespan of most mammals. The hippocampus is a crucial structure for spatial learning and memory, and the addition of new neurons into the DG circuitry of rodents seems to be a key element for these processes to occur. The Morris water maze (MWM) and contextual fear conditioning (CFC) are among the most commonly used hippocampus-dependent behavioral tasks to study episodic-like learning and memory in rodents. While the functional contribution of adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) through these paradigms has been widely addressed, results have generated controversial findings. In this review, we analyze and discuss possible factors in the experimental methods that could explain the inconsistent results among AHN studies; moreover, we provide specific suggestions for the design of more sensitive protocols to assess AHN-mediated learning and memory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Hernández-Mercado
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicológia Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Angélica Zepeda
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicológia Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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11
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Cerebellum and Emotion Memory. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1378:53-73. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-99550-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Ferland-Beckham C, Chaby LE, Daskalakis NP, Knox D, Liberzon I, Lim MM, McIntyre C, Perrine SA, Risbrough VB, Sabban EL, Jeromin A, Haas M. Systematic Review and Methodological Considerations for the Use of Single Prolonged Stress and Fear Extinction Retention in Rodents. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:652636. [PMID: 34054443 PMCID: PMC8162789 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.652636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event that can lead to lifelong burden that increases mortality and adverse health outcomes. Yet, no new treatments have reached the market in two decades. Thus, screening potential interventions for PTSD is of high priority. Animal models often serve as a critical translational tool to bring new therapeutics from bench to bedside. However, the lack of concordance of some human clinical trial outcomes with preclinical animal efficacy findings has led to a questioning of the methods of how animal studies are conducted and translational validity established. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to determine methodological variability in studies that applied a prominent animal model of trauma-like stress, single prolonged stress (SPS). The SPS model has been utilized to evaluate a myriad of PTSD-relevant outcomes including extinction retention. Rodents exposed to SPS express an extinction retention deficit, a phenotype identified in humans with PTSD, in which fear memory is aberrantly retained after fear memory extinction. The current systematic review examines methodological variation across all phases of the SPS paradigm, as well as strategies for behavioral coding, data processing, statistical approach, and the depiction of data. Solutions for key challenges and sources of variation within these domains are discussed. In response to methodological variation in SPS studies, an expert panel was convened to generate methodological considerations to guide researchers in the application of SPS and the evaluation of extinction retention as a test for a PTSD-like phenotype. Many of these guidelines are applicable to all rodent paradigms developed to model trauma effects or learned fear processes relevant to PTSD, and not limited to SPS. Efforts toward optimizing preclinical model application are essential for enhancing the reproducibility and translational validity of preclinical findings, and should be conducted for all preclinical psychiatric research models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren E Chaby
- Cohen Veterans Bioscience, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Nikolaos P Daskalakis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Miranda M Lim
- Departments of Neurology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Medicine, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Sleep Disorders Clinic, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Christa McIntyre
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Shane A Perrine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.,Research Service, John. D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Victoria B Risbrough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Center for Excellence in Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Esther L Sabban
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States
| | | | - Magali Haas
- Cohen Veterans Bioscience, New York City, NY, United States
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13
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Clark JW, Daykin H, Metha JA, Allocca G, Hoyer D, Drummond SPA, Jacobson LH. Manipulation of REM sleep via orexin and GABAA receptor modulators differentially affects fear extinction in mice: effect of stable versus disrupted circadian rhythm. Sleep 2021; 44:6171207. [PMID: 33720375 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsab068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep disruption, and especially REM sleep disruption, is associated with fear inhibition impairment in animals and humans. The REM sleep-fear inhibition relationship raises concern for individuals with PTSD, whose sleep disturbance is commonly treated with hypnotics which disrupt and/or decrease REM sleep, such as benzodiazepines or 'Z-drugs'. Here, we examined the effects of the Z-drug zolpidem, a GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator, as well as suvorexant, an orexin receptor antagonist (hypnotics which decrease and increase REM sleep, respectively) in the context of circadian disruption in murine models of fear inhibition-related processes (i.e., fear extinction and safety learning). Adult male C57Bl/6J mice completed fear and safety conditioning before undergoing shifts in the light-dark (LD) cycle or maintaining a consistent LD schedule. Fear extinction and recall of conditioned safety were thereafter tested daily. Immediately prior to onset of the light phase between testing sessions, mice were treated with zolpidem, suvorexant, or vehicle (methylcellulose). EEG/EMG analysis showed temporal distribution of REM sleep was misaligned during LD cycle-shifts, while REM sleep duration was preserved. Suvorexant increased REM sleep and improved fear extinction rate, relative to zolpidem, which decreased REM sleep. Survival analysis demonstrated LD shifted mice treated with suvorexant were faster to achieve complete extinction than vehicle and zolpidem-treated mice in the LD shifted condition. By contrast, retention of conditioned safety memory was not influenced by either treatment. This study thus provides preclinical evidence for the potential clinical utility of hypnotics which increase REM sleep for fear extinction after PTSD-relevant sleep disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob W Clark
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, VIC, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Heather Daykin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jeremy A Metha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Brain, Mind and Markets Laboratory, Department of Finance, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Giancarlo Allocca
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Somnivore Pty. Ltd., Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Hoyer
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, CA, The United States of America
| | - Sean P A Drummond
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| | - Laura H Jacobson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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14
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Causal role for sleep-dependent reactivation of learning-activated sensory ensembles for fear memory consolidation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1200. [PMID: 33619256 PMCID: PMC7900186 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21471-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning-activated engram neurons play a critical role in memory recall. An untested hypothesis is that these same neurons play an instructive role in offline memory consolidation. Here we show that a visually-cued fear memory is consolidated during post-conditioning sleep in mice. We then use TRAP (targeted recombination in active populations) to genetically label or optogenetically manipulate primary visual cortex (V1) neurons responsive to the visual cue. Following fear conditioning, mice respond to activation of this visual engram population in a manner similar to visual presentation of fear cues. Cue-responsive neurons are selectively reactivated in V1 during post-conditioning sleep. Mimicking visual engram reactivation optogenetically leads to increased representation of the visual cue in V1. Optogenetic inhibition of the engram population during post-conditioning sleep disrupts consolidation of fear memory. We conclude that selective sleep-associated reactivation of learning-activated sensory populations serves as a necessary instructive mechanism for memory consolidation. Learning-activated engram neurons play a critical role in memory recall but the role of these neurons in offline memory consolidation is unclear. The authors show that sleep-associated reactivation of learning-activated sensory neurons is necessary for memory consolidation.
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15
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Human cerebral organoids establish subcortical projections in the mouse brain after transplantation. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2964-2976. [PMID: 33051604 PMCID: PMC8505255 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00910-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have used human pluripotent stem cell-derived cerebral organoids to elucidate the mystery of human brain development and model neurological diseases in vitro, but the potential for grafted organoid-based therapy in vivo remains unknown. Here, we optimized a culturing protocol capable of efficiently generating small human cerebral organoids. After transplantation into the mouse medial prefrontal cortex, the grafted human cerebral organoids survived and extended projections over 4.5 mm in length to basal brain regions within 1 month. The transplanted cerebral organoids generated human glutamatergic neurons that acquired electrophysiological maturity in the mouse brain. Importantly, the grafted human cerebral organoids functionally integrated into pre-existing neural circuits by forming bidirectional synaptic connections with the mouse host neurons. Furthermore, compared to control mice, the mice transplanted with cerebral organoids showed an increase in freezing time in response to auditory conditioned stimuli, suggesting the potentiation of the startle fear response. Our study showed that subcortical projections can be established by microtransplantation and may provide crucial insights into the therapeutic potential of human cerebral organoids for neurological diseases.
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16
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Morena M, Colucci P, Mancini GF, De Castro V, Peloso A, Schelling G, Campolongo P. Ketamine anesthesia enhances fear memory consolidation via noradrenergic activation in the basolateral amygdala. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 178:107362. [PMID: 33333316 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Trauma patients treated with ketamine during emergency care present aggravated early post- traumatic stress reaction which is highly predictive of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development and severity. The use of ketamine in the acute trauma phase may directly or indirectly interfere with neural processes of memory consolidation of the traumatic event, thus leading to the formation of maladaptive memories, a hallmark symptom of PTSD. We have recently shown that ketamine anesthesia, immediately after a traumatic event, enhances memory consolidation and leads to long-lasting alterations of social behavior in rats. Based on the evidence that ketamine induces a robust central and peripheral adrenergic/noradrenergic potentiation and that activation of this system is essential for the formation of memory for stressful events, we explored the possibility that the strong sympathomimetic action of ketamine might underlie its memory enhancing effects. We found that rats given immediate, but not delayed, post-training ketamine anesthesia (125 mg/kg) presented enhanced 48-h memory retention in an inhibitory avoidance task and that these effects were blocked by adrenal medullectomy, lesions of the locus coeruleus, systemic or intra-basolateral amygdala ß-adrenergic receptor antagonism. Thus, the memory enhancing effects of ketamine anesthesia are time-dependent and mediated by a combined peripheral-central sympathomimetic action. We elucidated a mechanism by which ketamine exacerbates acute post-traumatic reaction, possibly leading to development of PTSD symptomatology later in life. These findings will help guide for a better management of sedation/anesthesia in emergency care to promote the prophylaxis and reduce the risk of developing trauma-related disorders in trauma victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Morena
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Colucci
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia F Mancini
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina De Castro
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Peloso
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Gustav Schelling
- Dept. of Anaesthesiology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy.
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17
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Fendt M, Parsons MH, Apfelbach R, Carthey AJ, Dickman CR, Endres T, Frank AS, Heinz DE, Jones ME, Kiyokawa Y, Kreutzmann JC, Roelofs K, Schneider M, Sulger J, Wotjak CT, Blumstein DT. Context and trade-offs characterize real-world threat detection systems: A review and comprehensive framework to improve research practice and resolve the translational crisis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:25-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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18
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Sharkey LM, Sandoval-Pistorius SS, Moore SJ, Gerson JE, Komlo R, Fischer S, Negron-Rios KY, Crowley EV, Padron F, Patel R, Murphy GG, Paulson HL. Modeling UBQLN2-mediated neurodegenerative disease in mice: Shared and divergent properties of wild type and mutant UBQLN2 in phase separation, subcellular localization, altered proteostasis pathways, and selective cytotoxicity. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 143:105016. [PMID: 32653673 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-binding proteasomal shuttle protein UBQLN2 is implicated in common neurodegenerative disorders due to its accumulation in disease-specific aggregates and, when mutated, directly causes familial frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD/ALS). Like other proteins linked to FTD/ALS, UBQLN2 undergoes phase separation to form condensates. The relationship of UBQLN2 phase separation and accumulation to neurodegeneration, however, remains uncertain. Employing biochemical, neuropathological and behavioral assays, we studied the impact of overexpressing WT or mutant UBQLN2 in the CNS of transgenic mice. Expression of UBQLN2 harboring a pathogenic mutation (P506T) elicited profound and widespread intraneuronal inclusion formation and aggregation without prominent neurodegenerative or behavioral changes. Both WT and mutant UBQLN2 formed ubiquitin- and P62-positive inclusions in neurons, supporting the view that UBQLN2 is intrinsically prone to phase separate, with the size, shape and frequency of inclusions depending on expression level and the presence or absence of a pathogenic mutation. Overexpression of WT or mutant UBQLN2 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in levels of a key interacting chaperone, HSP70, as well as dose-dependent profound degeneration of the retina. We conclude that, at least in mice, robust aggregation of a pathogenic form of UBQLN2 is insufficient to cause neuronal loss recapitulating that of human FTD/ALS. Our results nevertheless support the view that altering the normal cellular balance of UBQLN2, whether wild type or mutant protein, has deleterious effects on cells of the CNS and retina that likely reflect perturbations in ubiquitin-dependent protein homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Sharkey
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America.
| | - Stephanie S Sandoval-Pistorius
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Shannon J Moore
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Julia E Gerson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Robert Komlo
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Svetlana Fischer
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Keyshla Y Negron-Rios
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Emily V Crowley
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Francisco Padron
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Ronak Patel
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey G Murphy
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, United States of America.
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19
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Sohn JMB, de Souza STF, Raymundi AM, Bonato J, de Oliveira RMW, Prickaerts J, Stern CA. Persistence of the extinction of fear memory requires late-phase cAMP/PKA signaling in the infralimbic cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 172:107244. [PMID: 32376452 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fear extinction is a form of new learning that inhibits expression of the original fear memory without erasing the conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus association. Much is known about the mechanisms that underlie the acquisition of extinction, but the way in which fear extinction is maintained has been scarcely explored. Evidence suggests that protein kinase A (PKA) in the frontal cortex might be related to the persistence of extinction. Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) specifically hydrolyzes cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). The present study evaluated the effect of the selective PDE4 inhibitor roflumilast (ROF; 0.01, 0.03, and 0.1 mg/kg given i.p.) on acquisition and consolidation of the extinction of fear memory in male Wistar rats in a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. When administered before acquisition, 0.1 mg/kg ROF disrupted short-term (1 day) extinction recall. In contrast, 0.03 mg/kg ROF administration in the late consolidation phase (3 h after extinction learning) but not in the early phase immediately after learning improved long-term extinction recall at 11 days, suggesting potentiation of the persistence of extinction. This effect of ROF requires the first (day 1) exposure to the context. A similar effect was observed when 9 ng ROF or 30 µM 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cAMP (PKA activator) was directly infused in the infralimbic cortex (IL), a brain region necessary for memory extinction. The PKA activity-dependent ROF-induced effect in the IL was correlated with an increase in its brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein expression, while blockade of PKA with 10 µM H89 in the IL abolished the ROF-induced increase in BDNF expression and prevented the effect of ROF on extinction recall. These effects were not associated with changes in anxiety-like behavior or general exploratory behavior. Altogether, these findings suggest that cAMP-PKA activity in the IL during the late consolidation phase after extinction learning underlies the persistence of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana Maria Raymundi
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Bonato
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Jos Prickaerts
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, the Netherlands
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20
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Gutzeit VA, Ahuna K, Santos TL, Cunningham AM, Sadsad Rooney M, Muñoz Zamora A, Denny CA, Donaldson ZR. Optogenetic reactivation of prefrontal social neural ensembles mimics social buffering of fear. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1068-1077. [PMID: 32035426 PMCID: PMC7162965 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0631-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Social buffering occurs when the presence of a companion attenuates the physiological and/or behavioral effects of a stressful or fear-provoking event. It represents a way in which social interactions can immediately and potently modulate behavior. As such, social buffering is one mechanism by which strong social support increases resilience to mental illness. Although the behavioral and neuroendocrine impacts of social buffering are well studied in multiple species, including humans, the neuronal underpinnings of this behavioral phenomenon remain largely unexplored. Previous work has shown that the infralimbic prefrontal cortex (IL-PFC) is important for processing social information and, in separate studies, for modulating fear and anxiety. Thus, we hypothesized that socially active cells within the IL-PFC may integrate social information to modulate fear responsivity. To test this hypothesis, we employed social buffering paradigms in male and female mice. Similar to prior studies in rats, we found that the presence of a cagemate reduced freezing in fear- and anxiety-provoking contexts. In accordance with previous work, we demonstrated that interaction with a novel or familiar conspecific induces activity in the IL-PFC as evidenced by increased immediate early gene (IEG) expression. We then utilized an activity-dependent tagging murine line, the ArcCreERT2 mice, to express channelrhodopsin (ChR2) in neurons active during the social encoding of a new cagemate. We found that optogenetic reactivation of these socially active neuronal ensembles phenocopied the effects of cagemate presence in male and female mice in learned and innate fear contexts without being inherently rewarding or altering locomotion. These data suggest that a social neural ensemble within the IL-PFC may contribute to social buffering of fear. These neurons may represent a novel therapeutic target for fear and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A. Gutzeit
- 000000041936877Xgrid.5386.8Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Kylia Ahuna
- 0000000096214564grid.266190.aDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Tabia L. Santos
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY 11549 USA
| | - Ashley M. Cunningham
- 0000 0001 0670 2351grid.59734.3cMt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | | | - Andrea Muñoz Zamora
- 0000000419368729grid.21729.3fDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY 10032 USA ,0000 0000 8499 1112grid.413734.6Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)/Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Christine A. Denny
- 0000000419368729grid.21729.3fDepartment of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, NY 10032 USA ,0000 0000 8499 1112grid.413734.6Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)/Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH), New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Zoe R. Donaldson
- 0000000096214564grid.266190.aDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309 USA ,0000000096214564grid.266190.aDepartment of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
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21
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Bach DR, Melinscak F. Psychophysiological modelling and the measurement of fear conditioning. Behav Res Ther 2020; 127:103576. [PMID: 32087391 PMCID: PMC7078750 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Quantification of fear conditioning is paramount to many clinical and translational studies on aversive learning. Various measures of fear conditioning co-exist, including different observables and different methods of pre-processing. Here, we first argue that low measurement error is a rational desideratum for any measurement technique. We then show that measurement error can be approximated in benchmark experiments by how closely intended fear memory relates to measured fear memory, a quantity that we term retrodictive validity. From this perspective, we discuss different approaches commonly used to quantify fear conditioning. One of these is psychophysiological modelling (PsPM). This builds on a measurement model that describes how a psychological variable, such as fear memory, influences a physiological measure. This model is statistically inverted to estimate the most likely value of the psychological variable, given the measured data. We review existing PsPMs for skin conductance, pupil size, heart period, respiration, and startle eye-blink. We illustrate the benefit of PsPMs in terms of retrodictive validity and translate this into sample size required to achieve a desired level of statistical power. This sample size can differ up to a factor of three between different observables, and between the best, and the current standard, data pre-processing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik R Bach
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH, United Kingdom; Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Filip Melinscak
- Computational Psychiatry Research, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
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22
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Bergstrom HC. Assaying Fear Memory Discrimination and Generalization: Methods and Concepts. CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 91:e89. [PMID: 31995285 PMCID: PMC7000165 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Generalization describes the transfer of conditioned responding to stimuli that perceptually differ from the original conditioned stimulus. One arena in which discriminant and generalized responding is of particular relevance is when stimuli signal the potential for harm. Aversive (fear) conditioning is a leading behavioral model for studying associative learning and memory processes related to threatening stimuli. This article describes a step-by-step protocol for studying discrimination and generalization using cued fear conditioning in rodents. Alternate conditioning paradigms, including context generalization, differential generalization, discrimination training, and safety learning, are also described. The protocol contains instructions for constructing a cued fear memory generalization gradient and methods for isolating discrete cued-from-context cued conditioned responses (i.e., "the baseline issue"). The preclinical study of generalization is highly pertinent in the context of fear learning and memory because a lack of fear discrimination (overgeneralization) likely contributes to the etiology of anxiety-related disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol 1: Tone cued fear generalization gradient Basic Protocol 2: Quantification of freezing Support Protocol: Alternate conditioning paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadley C Bergstrom
- Vassar College, Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Poughkeepsie, New York
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23
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Haaker J, Maren S, Andreatta M, Merz CJ, Richter J, Richter SH, Meir Drexler S, Lange MD, Jüngling K, Nees F, Seidenbecher T, Fullana MA, Wotjak CT, Lonsdorf TB. Making translation work: Harmonizing cross-species methodology in the behavioural neuroscience of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:329-345. [PMID: 31521698 PMCID: PMC7822629 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Translational neuroscience bridges insights from specific mechanisms in rodents to complex functions in humans and is key to advance our general understanding of central nervous function. A prime example of translational research is the study of cross-species mechanisms that underlie responding to learned threats, by employing Pavlovian fear conditioning protocols in rodents and humans. Hitherto, evidence for (and critique of) these cross-species comparisons in fear conditioning research was based on theoretical viewpoints. Here, we provide a perspective to substantiate these theoretical concepts with empirical considerations of cross-species methodology. This meta-research perspective is expected to foster cross-species comparability and reproducibility to ultimately facilitate successful transfer of results from basic science into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Haaker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Marta Andreatta
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christian J Merz
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Shira Meir Drexler
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Germany
| | - Maren D Lange
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kay Jüngling
- Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Miquel A Fullana
- Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Neuronal Plasticity Research Group, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Milton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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