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Park G, Park Y, Yang S, Cho Y, Serikov A, Jung D, Seo DC, Lee SE, Nam MH, Kim D, Kim J. Neurotensin-specific corticothalamic circuit regulates innate response conflict. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3473-3487.e6. [PMID: 39067450 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Animals must simultaneously select and balance multiple action contingencies in ambiguous situations: for instance, evading danger during feeding. This has rarely been examined in the context of information selection; despite corticothalamic pathways that mediate sensory attention being relatively well characterized, neural mechanisms filtering conflicting actions remain unclear. Here, we develop a new loom/feed test to observe conflict between naturally induced fear and feeding and identify a novel anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) output to the ventral anterior and ventral lateral thalamus (VA/VL) that adjusts selectivity between these innate actions. Using micro-endoscopy and fiber photometry, we reveal that activity in corticofugal outputs was lowered during unbalanced/singularly occupied periods, as were the resulting decreased thalamic initiation-related signals for less-favored actions, suggesting that the integration of ACC-thalamic firing may directly regulate the output of behavior choices. Accordingly, the optoinhibition of ACC-VA/VL circuits induced high bias toward feeding at the expense of defense. To identify upstream "commander" cortical cells gating this output, we established dual-order tracing (DOT)-translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP)-a scheme to label upstream neurons with transcriptome analysis-and found a novel population of neurotensin-positive interneurons (ACCNts). The photoexcitation of ACCNts cells indeed caused similarly hyper-selective behaviors. Collectively, this new "corticofugal action filter" scheme suggests that communication in multi-step cingulate circuits may critically influence the summation of motor signals in thalamic outputs, regulating bias between innate action types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geunhong Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjun Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulkee Yang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjeong Cho
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Almas Serikov
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dajung Jung
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Chan Seo
- Research Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Research Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ho Nam
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Daesoo Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongjin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Asinof SK, Card GM. Neural Control of Naturalistic Behavior Choices. Annu Rev Neurosci 2024; 47:369-388. [PMID: 38724026 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-094019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
In the natural world, animals make decisions on an ongoing basis, continuously selecting which action to undertake next. In the lab, however, the neural bases of decision processes have mostly been studied using artificial trial structures. New experimental tools based on the genetic toolkit of model organisms now make it experimentally feasible to monitor and manipulate neural activity in small subsets of neurons during naturalistic behaviors. We thus propose a new approach to investigating decision processes, termed reverse neuroethology. In this approach, experimenters select animal models based on experimental accessibility and then utilize cutting-edge tools such as connectomes and genetically encoded reagents to analyze the flow of information through an animal's nervous system during naturalistic choice behaviors. We describe how the reverse neuroethology strategy has been applied to understand the neural underpinnings of innate, rapid decision making, with a focus on defensive behavioral choices in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel K Asinof
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, and Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA;
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
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3
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Stempel AV, Evans DA, Arocas OP, Claudi F, Lenzi SC, Kutsarova E, Margrie TW, Branco T. Tonically active GABAergic neurons in the dorsal periaqueductal gray control instinctive escape in mice. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3031-3039.e7. [PMID: 38936364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Escape behavior is a set of locomotor actions that move an animal away from threat. While these actions can be stereotyped, it is advantageous for survival that they are flexible.1,2,3 For example, escape probability depends on predation risk and competing motivations,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and flight to safety requires continuous adjustments of trajectory and must terminate at the appropriate place and time.12,13,14,15,16 This degree of flexibility suggests that modulatory components, like inhibitory networks, act on the neural circuits controlling instinctive escape.17,18,19,20,21,22 In mice, the decision to escape from imminent threats is implemented by a feedforward circuit in the midbrain, where excitatory vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive (VGluT2+) neurons in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) compute escape initiation and escape vigor.23,24,25 Here we tested the hypothesis that local GABAergic neurons within the dPAG control escape behavior by setting the excitability of the dPAG escape network. Using in vitro patch-clamp and in vivo neural activity recordings, we found that vesicular GABA transporter-positive (VGAT+) dPAG neurons fire action potentials tonically in the absence of synaptic inputs and are a major source of inhibition to VGluT2+ dPAG neurons. Activity in VGAT+ dPAG cells transiently decreases at escape onset and increases during escape, peaking at escape termination. Optogenetically increasing or decreasing VGAT+ dPAG activity changes the probability of escape when the stimulation is delivered at threat onset and the duration of escape when delivered after escape initiation. We conclude that the activity of tonically firing VGAT+ dPAG neurons sets a threshold for escape initiation and controls the execution of the flight action.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vanessa Stempel
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Dominic A Evans
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oriol Pavón Arocas
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Stephen C Lenzi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Elena Kutsarova
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Troy W Margrie
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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Stempel AV. A conserved brainstem region for instinctive behaviour control: The vertebrate periaqueductal gray. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102878. [PMID: 38663047 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Instinctive behaviours have evolved across animal phyla and ensure the survival of both the individual and species. They include behaviours that achieve defence, feeding, aggression, sexual reproduction, or parental care. Within the vertebrate subphylum, the brain circuits that support instinctive behaviour output are evolutionarily conserved, being present in the oldest group of living vertebrates, the lamprey. Here, I will provide an evolutionary and comparative perspective on the function of a conserved brainstem region central to the initiation and execution of virtually all instinctive behaviours-the periaqueductal gray. In particular, I will focus on recent advances on the neural mechanisms in the periaqueductal gray that underlie the production of different instinctive behaviours within and across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vanessa Stempel
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany.
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5
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Han Y, Sohn K, Yoon D, Park S, Lee J, Choi S. Delayed escape behavior requires claustral activity. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113748. [PMID: 38324450 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals are known to exhibit innate and learned forms of defensive behaviors, but it is unclear whether animals can escape through methods other than these forms. In this study, we develop the delayed escape task, in which male rats temporarily hold the information required for future escape, and we demonstrate that this task, in which the subject extrapolates from past experience without direct experience of its behavioral outcome, does not fall into either of the two forms of behavior. During the holding period, a subset of neurons in the rostral-to-striatum claustrum (rsCla), only when pooled together, sustain enhanced population activity without ongoing sensory stimuli. Transient inhibition of rsCla neurons during the initial part of the holding period produces prolonged inhibition of the enhanced activity. The transient inhibition also attenuates the delayed escape behavior. Our data suggest that the rsCla activity bridges escape-inducing stimuli to the delayed onset of escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujin Han
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kuenbae Sohn
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Donghyeon Yoon
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sewon Park
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Junghwa Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Sukwoo Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
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6
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Castell L, Le Gall V, Cutando L, Petit CP, Puighermanal E, Makrini-Maleville L, Kim HR, Jercog D, Tarot P, Tassou A, Harrus AG, Rubinstein M, Nouvian R, Rivat C, Besnard A, Trifilieff P, Gangarossa G, Janak PH, Herry C, Valjent E. Dopamine D2 receptors in WFS1-neurons regulate food-seeking and avoidance behaviors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110883. [PMID: 37858736 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The selection and optimization of appropriate adaptive responses depends on interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli as well as on the animal's ability to switch from one behavioral strategy to another. Although growing evidence indicate that dopamine D2R-mediated signaling events ensure the selection of the appropriate strategy for each specific situation, the underlying neural circuits through which they mediate these effects are poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the role of D2R signaling in a mesolimbic neuronal subpopulation expressing the Wolfram syndrome 1 (Wfs1) gene. This subpopulation is located within the nucleus accumbens, the central amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the tail of the striatum, all brain regions critical for the regulation of emotions and motivated behaviors. Using a mouse model carrying a temporally controlled deletion of D2R in WFS1-neurons, we demonstrate that intact D2R signaling in this neuronal population is necessary to regulate homeostasis-dependent food-seeking behaviors in both male and female mice. In addition, we found that reduced D2R signaling in WFS1-neurons impaired active avoidance learning and innate escape responses. Collectively, these findings identify a yet undocumented role for D2R signaling in WFS1-neurons as a novel effector through which dopamine optimizes appetitive behaviors and regulates defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Castell
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Valentine Le Gall
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Laura Cutando
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Chloé P Petit
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Emma Puighermanal
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | | | - Ha-Rang Kim
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Daniel Jercog
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Pauline Tarot
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Adrien Tassou
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | | | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, CONICET; FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Régis Nouvian
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Cyril Rivat
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Antoine Besnard
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Pierre Trifilieff
- Université, Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux F-33000, France
| | - Giuseppe Gangarossa
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris F-75013, France; Institut Universitaire de France, France
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Cyril Herry
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France.
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7
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Pérez-Schuster V, Salomón L, Bengochea M, Basnak MA, Velázquez Duarte F, Hermitte G, Berón de Astrada M. Threatening stimuli elicit a sequential cardiac pattern in arthropods. iScience 2024; 27:108672. [PMID: 38261947 PMCID: PMC10797191 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108672] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to cope with the challenges of living in dynamic environments, animals rapidly adjust their behaviors in coordination with different physiological responses. Here, we studied whether threatening visual stimuli evoke different heart rate patterns in arthropods and whether these patterns are related with defensive behaviors. We identified two sequential phases of crab's cardiac response that occur with a similar timescale to that of the motor arrest and later escape response. The first phase was modulated by low salience stimuli and persisted throughout spaced stimulus presentation. The second phase was modulated by high-contrast stimuli and reduced by repetitive stimulus presentation. The overall correspondence between cardiac and motor responses suggests that the first cardiac response phase might be related to motor arrest while the second to the escape response. We show that in the face of threat arthropods coordinate their behavior and cardiac activity in a rapid and flexible manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Pérez-Schuster
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucca Salomón
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Bengochea
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Melanie Ailín Basnak
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Velázquez Duarte
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Hermitte
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Berón de Astrada
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
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8
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Clein RS, Warren MR, Neunuebel JP. Automated behavioral analysis reveals that mice employ a bait-and-switch escape mechanism to de-escalate social conflict. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.12.575321. [PMID: 38260649 PMCID: PMC10802557 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.12.575321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Intraspecies aggression has profound ecological and evolutionary consequences, as recipients can suffer injuries, decreases in fitness, and become outcasts from social groups. Although animals implement diverse strategies to avoid hostile confrontations, the extent to which social influences affect escape tactics is unclear. Here, we used computational and machine-learning approaches to analyze complex behavioral interactions as mixed-sex groups of mice, Mus musculus, freely interacted. Mice displayed a rich repertoire of behaviors marked by changes in behavioral state, aggressive encounters, and mixed-sex interactions. A prominent behavioral sequence consistently occurred after aggressive encounters, where males in submissive states quickly approached and transiently interacted with females immediately before the aggressor engaged with the same female. The behavioral sequences were also associated with substantially fewer physical altercations. Furthermore, the male's behavioral state and the interacting partners could be predicted by distinct features of the behavioral sequence, such as kinematics and the latency to and duration of male-female interactions. More broadly, our work revealed an ethologically relevant escape strategy influenced by the presence of females that may serve as a mechanism for de-escalating social conflict and preventing consequential reductions in fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel S. Clein
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19713
| | - Megan R. Warren
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19713
- Emory University, Department of Biology, Atlanta, GA 30322
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory National Primate Center, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Joshua P. Neunuebel
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19713
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Dorst KE, Senne RA, Diep AH, de Boer AR, Suthard RL, Leblanc H, Ruesch EA, Pyo AY, Skelton S, Carstensen LC, Malmberg S, McKissick OP, Bladon JH, Ramirez S. Hippocampal Engrams Generate Variable Behavioral Responses and Brain-Wide Network States. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0340232023. [PMID: 38050098 PMCID: PMC10860633 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0340-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Freezing is a defensive behavior commonly examined during hippocampal-mediated fear engram reactivation. How these cellular populations engage the brain and modulate freezing across varying environmental demands is unclear. To address this, we optogenetically reactivated a fear engram in the dentate gyrus subregion of the hippocampus across three distinct contexts in male mice. We found that there were differential amounts of light-induced freezing depending on the size of the context in which reactivation occurred: mice demonstrated robust light-induced freezing in the most spatially restricted of the three contexts but not in the largest. We then utilized graph theoretical analyses to identify brain-wide alterations in cFos expression during engram reactivation across the smallest and largest contexts. Our manipulations induced positive interregional cFos correlations that were not observed in control conditions. Additionally, regions spanning putative "fear" and "defense" systems were recruited as hub regions in engram reactivation networks. Lastly, we compared the network generated from engram reactivation in the small context with a natural fear memory retrieval network. Here, we found shared characteristics such as modular composition and hub regions. By identifying and manipulating the circuits supporting memory function, as well as their corresponding brain-wide activity patterns, it is thereby possible to resolve systems-level biological mechanisms mediating memory's capacity to modulate behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E Dorst
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan A Senne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Anh H Diep
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Antje R de Boer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca L Suthard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Heloise Leblanc
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Evan A Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Y Pyo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Skelton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Lucas C Carstensen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Samantha Malmberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Olivia P McKissick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - John H Bladon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
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10
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Pyeon GH, Lee J, Jo YS, Choi JS. Conditioned flight response in female rats to naturalistic threat is estrous-cycle dependent. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20988. [PMID: 38017045 PMCID: PMC10684534 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47591-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the prevalent expression of freezing behavior following Pavlovian fear conditioning, a growing body of literature suggests potential sex differences in defensive responses. Our study investigated how female defensive behaviors are expressed in different threat situations and modulated by the estrous cycle. We aimed to compare freezing and flight-like responses during the acquisition and retrieval of fear conditioning using two distinct unconditioned stimuli (US) in two different spatial configurations: (1) electrical footshock (FUS) in a small, conventional enclosure with a grid floor, and (2) a predator-like robot (PUS) in a spacious, open arena. Fear conditioning with FUS showed no substantial differences between male and female rats of two different estrous cycles (proestrus and diestrus) in the levels of freezing and flight. However, when PUS was employed, proestrus female rats showed significantly more flight responses to the CS during both acquisition and the retrieval compared to the male and diestrus female rats. Taken together, our findings suggest that hormonal influences on the choice of defensive strategies in threat situations are significantly modulated by both the type of US and the spatial configuration of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeong Hee Pyeon
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyong Lee
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Sang Jo
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - June-Seek Choi
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Han HB, Shin HS, Jeong Y, Kim J, Choi JH. Dynamic switching of neural oscillations in the prefrontal-amygdala circuit for naturalistic freeze-or-flight. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308762120. [PMID: 37669394 PMCID: PMC10500169 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308762120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) are involved in the regulation of defensive behavior under threat, but their engagement in flexible behavior shifts remains unclear. Here, we report the oscillatory activities of mPFC-BLA circuit in reaction to a naturalistic threat, created by a predatory robot in mice. Specifically, we found dynamic frequency tuning among two different theta rhythms (~5 or ~10 Hz) was accompanied by agile changes of two different defensive behaviors (freeze-or-flight). By analyzing flight trajectories, we also found that high beta (~30 Hz) is engaged in the top-down process for goal-directed flights and accompanied by a reduction in fast gamma (60 to 120 Hz, peak near 70 Hz). The elevated beta nested the fast gamma activity by its phase more strongly. Our results suggest that the mPFC-BLA circuit has a potential role in oscillatory gear shifting allowing flexible information routing for behavior switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hio-Been Han
- Computational Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul02792, Republic of Korea
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Sup Shin
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon34126, Republic of Korea
- SL Bigen Co., Incheon21983, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Jeong
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisoo Kim
- Computational Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul02792, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EG, United Kingdom
| | - Jee Hyun Choi
- Computational Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul02792, Republic of Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon34113, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul08826, Republic of Korea
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12
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Baier F, Reinhard K, Tong V, Murmann J, Farrow K, Hoekstra HE. The neural basis of defensive behaviour evolution in Peromyscus mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.04.547734. [PMID: 37461474 PMCID: PMC10350006 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.04.547734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Evading imminent predator threat is critical for survival. Effective defensive strategies can vary, even between closely related species. However, the neural basis of such species-specific behaviours is still poorly understood. Here we find that two sister species of deer mice (genus Peromyscus) show different responses to the same looming stimulus: P. maniculatus, which occupy densely vegetated habitats, predominantly dart to escape, while the open field specialist, P. polionotus, pause their movement. This difference arises from species-specific escape thresholds, is largely context-independent, and can be triggered by both visual and auditory threat stimuli. Using immunohistochemistry and electrophysiological recordings, we find that although visual threat activates the superior colliculus in both species, the role of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) in driving behaviour differs. While dPAG activity scales with running speed and involves both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in P. maniculatus, the dPAG is largely silent in P. polionotus, even when darting is triggered. Moreover, optogenetic activation of excitatory dPAG neurons reliably elicits darting behaviour in P. maniculatus but not P. polionotus. Together, we trace the evolution of species-specific escape thresholds to a central circuit node, downstream of peripheral sensory neurons, localizing an ecologically relevant behavioural difference to a specific region of the complex mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Baier
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Present address: Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Katja Reinhard
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Present address: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy
| | - Victoria Tong
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julie Murmann
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Present address: Institute of Science & Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hopi E. Hoekstra
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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13
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Shamash P, Lee S, Saxe AM, Branco T. Mice identify subgoal locations through an action-driven mapping process. Neuron 2023; 111:1966-1978.e8. [PMID: 37119818 PMCID: PMC10636595 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Mammals form mental maps of the environments by exploring their surroundings. Here, we investigate which elements of exploration are important for this process. We studied mouse escape behavior, in which mice are known to memorize subgoal locations-obstacle edges-to execute efficient escape routes to shelter. To test the role of exploratory actions, we developed closed-loop neural-stimulation protocols for interrupting various actions while mice explored. We found that blocking running movements directed at obstacle edges prevented subgoal learning; however, blocking several control movements had no effect. Reinforcement learning simulations and analysis of spatial data show that artificial agents can match these results if they have a region-level spatial representation and explore with object-directed movements. We conclude that mice employ an action-driven process for integrating subgoals into a hierarchical cognitive map. These findings broaden our understanding of the cognitive toolkit that mammals use to acquire spatial knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Shamash
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Sebastian Lee
- UCL Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Andrew M Saxe
- UCL Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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14
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Solomon SG, Janbon H, Bimson A, Wheatcroft T. Visual spatial location influences selection of instinctive behaviours in mouse. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230034. [PMID: 37122945 PMCID: PMC10130721 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Visual stimuli can elicit instinctive approach and avoidance behaviours. In mouse, vision is known to be important for both avoidance of an overhead threat and approach toward a potential terrestrial prey. The stimuli used to characterize these behaviours, however, vary in both spatial location (overhead or near the ground plane) and visual feature (rapidly expanding disc or slowly moving disc). We therefore asked how mice responded to the same visual features presented in each location. We found that a looming black disc induced escape behaviour when presented overhead or to the side of the animal, but the escapes produced by side-looms were less vigorous and often preceded by freezing behaviour. Similarly, small moving discs induced freezing behaviour when presented overhead or to the side of the animal, but side sweeps also elicited approach behaviours, such that mice explored the area of the arena near where the stimulus had been presented. Our observations therefore show that mice combine cues to the location and features of visual stimuli when selecting among potential behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G. Solomon
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience and Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Hadrien Janbon
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience and Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Adam Bimson
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience and Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Thomas Wheatcroft
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience and Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
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15
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Heathcote RJP, Whiteside MA, Beardsworth CE, Van Horik JO, Laker PR, Toledo S, Orchan Y, Nathan R, Madden JR. Spatial memory predicts home range size and predation risk in pheasants. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:461-471. [PMID: 36690732 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01950-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Most animals confine their activities to a discrete home range, long assumed to reflect the fitness benefits of obtaining spatial knowledge about the landscape. However, few empirical studies have linked spatial memory to home range development or determined how selection operates on spatial memory via the latter's role in mediating space use. We assayed the cognitive ability of juvenile pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) reared under identical conditions before releasing them into the wild. Then, we used high-throughput tracking to record their movements as they developed their home ranges, and determined the location, timing and cause of mortality events. Individuals with greater spatial reference memory developed larger home ranges. Mortality risk from predators was highest at the periphery of an individual's home range in areas where they had less experience and opportunity to obtain spatial information. Predation risk was lower in individuals with greater spatial memory and larger core home ranges, suggesting selection may operate on spatial memory by increasing the ability to learn about predation risk across the landscape. Our results reveal that spatial memory, determined from abstract cognitive assays, shapes home range development and variation, and suggests predation risk selects for spatial memory via experience-dependent spatial variation in mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J P Heathcote
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. .,Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Mark A Whiteside
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Christine E Beardsworth
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, Den Burg, the Netherlands.,School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jayden O Van Horik
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,University of Exeter Clinical Trials Unit, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Philippa R Laker
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Sivan Toledo
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yotam Orchan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joah R Madden
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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16
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Campagner D, Vale R, Tan YL, Iordanidou P, Pavón Arocas O, Claudi F, Stempel AV, Keshavarzi S, Petersen RS, Margrie TW, Branco T. A cortico-collicular circuit for orienting to shelter during escape. Nature 2023; 613:111-119. [PMID: 36544025 PMCID: PMC7614651 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05553-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
When faced with predatory threats, escape towards shelter is an adaptive action that offers long-term protection against the attacker. Animals rely on knowledge of safe locations in the environment to instinctively execute rapid shelter-directed escape actions1,2. Although previous work has identified neural mechanisms of escape initiation3,4, it is not known how the escape circuit incorporates spatial information to execute rapid flights along the most efficient route to shelter. Here we show that the mouse retrosplenial cortex (RSP) and superior colliculus (SC) form a circuit that encodes the shelter-direction vector and is specifically required for accurately orienting to shelter during escape. Shelter direction is encoded in RSP and SC neurons in egocentric coordinates and SC shelter-direction tuning depends on RSP activity. Inactivation of the RSP-SC pathway disrupts the orientation to shelter and causes escapes away from the optimal shelter-directed route, but does not lead to generic deficits in orientation or spatial navigation. We find that the RSP and SC are monosynaptically connected and form a feedforward lateral inhibition microcircuit that strongly drives the inhibitory collicular network because of higher RSP input convergence and synaptic integration efficiency in inhibitory SC neurons. This results in broad shelter-direction tuning in inhibitory SC neurons and sharply tuned excitatory SC neurons. These findings are recapitulated by a biologically constrained spiking network model in which RSP input to the local SC recurrent ring architecture generates a circular shelter-direction map. We propose that this RSP-SC circuit might be specialized for generating collicular representations of memorized spatial goals that are readily accessible to the motor system during escape, or more broadly, during navigation when the goal must be reached as fast as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Campagner
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
- UCL Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, London, UK
| | - Ruben Vale
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yu Lin Tan
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | | | - Oriol Pavón Arocas
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - A Vanessa Stempel
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | | | | | - Troy W Margrie
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK.
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17
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Barkus C, Bergmann C, Branco T, Carandini M, Chadderton PT, Galiñanes GL, Gilmour G, Huber D, Huxter JR, Khan AG, King AJ, Maravall M, O'Mahony T, Ragan CI, Robinson ESJ, Schaefer AT, Schultz SR, Sengpiel F, Prescott MJ. Refinements to rodent head fixation and fluid/food control for neuroscience. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 381:109705. [PMID: 36096238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The use of head fixation in mice is increasingly common in research, its use having initially been restricted to the field of sensory neuroscience. Head restraint has often been combined with fluid control, rather than food restriction, to motivate behaviour, but this too is now in use for both restrained and non-restrained animals. Despite this, there is little guidance on how best to employ these techniques to optimise both scientific outcomes and animal welfare. This article summarises current practices and provides recommendations to improve animal wellbeing and data quality, based on a survey of the community, literature reviews, and the expert opinion and practical experience of an international working group convened by the UK's National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). Topics covered include head fixation surgery and post-operative care, habituation to restraint, and the use of fluid/food control to motivate performance. We also discuss some recent developments that may offer alternative ways to collect data from large numbers of behavioural trials without the need for restraint. The aim is to provide support for researchers at all levels, animal care staff, and ethics committees to refine procedures and practices in line with the refinement principle of the 3Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Barkus
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK.
| | | | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matteo Carandini
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul T Chadderton
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Huber
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Adil G Khan
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Miguel Maravall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Tina O'Mahony
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - C Ian Ragan
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andreas T Schaefer
- Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Simon R Schultz
- Centre for Neurotechnology and Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mark J Prescott
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK
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18
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Mennella R, Bavard S, Mentec I, Grèzes J. Spontaneous instrumental avoidance learning in social contexts. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17528. [PMID: 36266316 PMCID: PMC9585085 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22334-6] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to our social environment requires learning how to avoid potentially harmful situations, such as encounters with aggressive individuals. Threatening facial expressions can evoke automatic stimulus-driven reactions, but whether their aversive motivational value suffices to drive instrumental active avoidance remains unclear. When asked to freely choose between different action alternatives, participants spontaneously-without instruction or monetary reward-developed a preference for choices that maximized the probability of avoiding angry individuals (sitting away from them in a waiting room). Most participants showed clear behavioral signs of instrumental learning, even in the absence of an explicit avoidance strategy. Inter-individual variability in learning depended on participants' subjective evaluations and sensitivity to threat approach feedback. Counterfactual learning best accounted for avoidance behaviors, especially in participants who developed an explicit avoidance strategy. Our results demonstrate that implicit defensive behaviors in social contexts are likely the product of several learning processes, including instrumental learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocco Mennella
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602Laboratoire des Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAÉ), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 Avenue de La République, 92001 Nanterre Cedex, France ,grid.440907.e0000 0004 1784 3645Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 Rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sophie Bavard
- grid.440907.e0000 0004 1784 3645Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 Rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France ,grid.9026.d0000 0001 2287 2617Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 11, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Inès Mentec
- grid.440907.e0000 0004 1784 3645Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 Rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Julie Grèzes
- grid.440907.e0000 0004 1784 3645Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 Rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
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19
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Freezing revisited: coordinated autonomic and central optimization of threat coping. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:568-580. [PMID: 35760906 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00608-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals have sophisticated mechanisms for coping with danger. Freezing is a unique state that, upon threat detection, allows evidence to be gathered, response possibilities to be previsioned and preparations to be made for worst-case fight or flight. We propose that - rather than reflecting a passive fear state - the particular somatic and cognitive characteristics of freezing help to conceal overt responses, while optimizing sensory processing and action preparation. Critical for these functions are the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and acetylcholine, which modulate neural information processing and also control the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. However, the interactions between autonomic systems and the brain during freezing, and the way in which they jointly coordinate responses, remain incompletely explored. We review the joint actions of these systems and offer a novel computational framework to describe their temporally harmonized integration. This reconceptualization of freezing has implications for its role in decision-making under threat and for psychopathology.
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20
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Shamash P, Branco T. Protocol to Study Spatial Subgoal Learning Using Escape Behavior in Mice. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:e4443. [PMID: 35864903 PMCID: PMC9257842 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent spatial navigation is a key model system for studying mammalian cognition and its neural mechanisms. Of particular interest is how animals memorize the structure of their environments and compute multi-step routes to a goal. Previous work on multi-step spatial reasoning has generally involved placing rodents at the start of a maze until they learn to navigate to a reward without making wrong turns. It thus remains poorly understood how animals rapidly learn about the structure of naturalistic open environments with goals and obstacles. Here we present an assay in which mice spontaneously memorize two-step routes in an environment with a shelter and an obstacle. We allow the mice to explore this environment for 20 min, and then we remove the obstacle. We then present auditory threat stimuli, causing the mouse to escape to the shelter. Finally, we record each escape route and measure whether it targets the shelter directly (a 'homing-vector' escape) or instead targets the location where the obstacle edge was formerly located (an 'edge-vector' escape). Since the obstacle is no longer there, these obstacle-edge-directed escape routes provide evidence that the mouse has memorized a subgoal location, i.e., a waypoint targeted in order to efficiently get to the shelter in the presence of an obstacle. By taking advantage of instinctive escape responses, this assay probes a multi-step spatial memory that is learned in a single session without pretraining. The subgoal learning phenomenon it generates can be useful not only for researchers working on navigation and instinctive behavior, but also for neuroscientists studying the neural basis of multi-step spatial reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Shamash
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
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21
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Lenzi SC, Cossell L, Grainger B, Olesen SF, Branco T, Margrie TW. Threat history controls flexible escape behavior in mice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2972-2979.e3. [PMID: 35659863 PMCID: PMC9616793 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In many instances, external sensory-evoked neuronal activity is used by the brain to select the most appropriate behavioral response. Predator-avoidance behaviors such as freezing and escape1,2 are of particular interest since these stimulus-evoked responses are behavioral manifestations of a decision-making process that is fundamental to survival.3,4 Over the lifespan of an individual, however, the threat value of agents in the environment is believed to undergo constant revision,5 and in some cases, repeated avoidance of certain stimuli may no longer be an optimal behavioral strategy.6 To begin to study this type of adaptive control of decision-making, we devised an experimental paradigm to probe the properties of threat escape in the laboratory mouse Mus musculus. First, we found that while robust escape to visual looming stimuli can be observed after 2 days of social isolation, mice can also rapidly learn that such stimuli are non-threatening. This learned suppression of escape (LSE) is extremely robust and can persist for weeks and is not a generalized adaptation, since flight responses to novel live prey and auditory threat stimuli in the same environmental context were maintained. We also show that LSE cannot be explained by trial number or a simple form of stimulus desensitization since it is dependent on threat-escape history. We propose that the action selection process mediating escape behavior is constantly updated by recent threat history and that LSE can be used as a robust model system to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying experience-dependent decision-making. Individually housed, but not group-housed, mice show robust escape to looming stimuli Mice can learn to suppress escape, and LSE memory is long lasting LSE is not a general adaptation since it is stimulus specific LSE is not simply habituation and is dependent on recent threat-escape experience
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Lenzi
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Lee Cossell
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Benjamin Grainger
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Sarah F Olesen
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Troy W Margrie
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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22
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Claudi F, Campagner D, Branco T. Innate heuristics and fast learning support escape route selection in mice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2980-2987.e5. [PMID: 35617953 PMCID: PMC9616796 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
When faced with imminent danger, animals must rapidly take defensive actions to reach safety. Mice can react to threatening stimuli in ∼250 milliseconds1 and, in simple environments, use spatial memory to quickly escape to shelter.2,3 Natural habitats, however, often offer multiple routes to safety that animals must identify and choose from.4 This is challenging because although rodents can learn to navigate complex mazes,5,6 learning the value of different routes through trial and error during escape could be deadly. Here, we investigated how mice learn to choose between different escape routes. Using environments with paths to shelter of varying length and geometry, we find that mice prefer options that minimize path distance and angle relative to the shelter. This strategy is already present during the first threat encounter and after only ∼10 minutes of exploration in a novel environment, indicating that route selection does not require experience of escaping. Instead, an innate heuristic assigns survival value to each path after rapidly learning the spatial environment. This route selection process is flexible and allows quick adaptation to arenas with dynamic geometries. Computational modeling shows that model-based reinforcement learning agents replicate the observed behavior in environments where the shelter location is rewarding during exploration. These results show that mice combine fast spatial learning with innate heuristics to choose escape routes with the highest survival value. The results further suggest that integrating prior knowledge acquired through evolution with knowledge learned from experience supports adaptation to changing environments and minimizes the need for trial and error when the errors are costly. Mice learn to escape via the fastest route after ∼10 minutes in a new environment Escape routes are learned during exploration and do not require threat exposure Mice prefer escape routes that minimize path distance and angle to shelter Fast route learning can be replicated by model-based reinforcement learning agents
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Dario Campagner
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK; Gatsby Unit, UCL, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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23
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Wheatcroft T, Saleem AB, Solomon SG. Functional Organisation of the Mouse Superior Colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:792959. [PMID: 35601532 PMCID: PMC9118347 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.792959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) is a highly conserved area of the mammalian midbrain that is widely implicated in the organisation and control of behaviour. SC receives input from a large number of brain areas, and provides outputs to a large number of areas. The convergence and divergence of anatomical connections with different areas and systems provides challenges for understanding how SC contributes to behaviour. Recent work in mouse has provided large anatomical datasets, and a wealth of new data from experiments that identify and manipulate different cells within SC, and their inputs and outputs, during simple behaviours. These data offer an opportunity to better understand the roles that SC plays in these behaviours. However, some of the observations appear, at first sight, to be contradictory. Here we review this recent work and hypothesise a simple framework which can capture the observations, that requires only a small change to previous models. Specifically, the functional organisation of SC can be explained by supposing that three largely distinct circuits support three largely distinct classes of simple behaviours-arrest, turning towards, and the triggering of escape or capture. These behaviours are hypothesised to be supported by the optic, intermediate and deep layers, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samuel G. Solomon
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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24
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Maren S. Unrelenting Fear Under Stress: Neural Circuits and Mechanisms for the Immediate Extinction Deficit. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:888461. [PMID: 35520882 PMCID: PMC9062589 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.888461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic interventions for disorders of fear and anxiety rely on behavioral approaches that reduce pathological fear memories. For example, learning that threat-predictive stimuli are no longer associated with aversive outcomes is central to the extinction of conditioned fear responses. Unfortunately, fear memories are durable, long-lasting, and resistant to extinction, particularly under high levels of stress. This is illustrated by the “immediate extinction deficit,” which is characterized by a poor long-term reduction of conditioned fear when extinction procedures are attempted within hours of fear conditioning. Here, I will review recent work that has provided new insight into the neural mechanisms underlying resistance to fear extinction. Emerging studies reveal that locus coeruleus norepinephrine modulates amygdala-prefrontal cortical circuits that are critical for extinction learning. These data suggest that stress-induced activation of brain neuromodulatory systems biases fear memory at the expense of extinction learning. Behavioral and pharmacological strategies to reduce stress in patients undergoing exposure therapy might improve therapeutic outcomes.
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25
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Bang JY, Sunstrum JK, Garand D, Parfitt GM, Woodin M, Inoue W, Kim J. Hippocampal-hypothalamic circuit controls context-dependent innate defensive responses. eLife 2022; 11:74736. [PMID: 35420543 PMCID: PMC9042231 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Preys use their memory - where they sensed a predatory threat and whether a safe shelter is nearby - to dynamically control their survival instinct to avoid harm and reach safety. However, it remains unknown which brain regions are involved, and how such top-down control of innate behaviour is implemented at the circuit level. Here, using adult male mice, we show that the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN) is best positioned to control this task as an exclusive target of the hippocampus (HPC) within the medial hypothalamic defense system. Selective optogenetic stimulation and inhibition of hippocampal inputs to the AHN revealed that the HPC→AHN pathway not only mediates the contextual memory of predator threats but also controls the goal-directed escape by transmitting information about the surrounding environment. These results reveal a new mechanism for experience-dependent, top-down control of innate defensive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Yoon Bang
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Danielle Garand
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gustavo Morrone Parfitt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Melanie Woodin
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wataru Inoue
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Junchul Kim
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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26
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Abstract
Retinal circuits transform the pixel representation of photoreceptors into the feature representations of ganglion cells, whose axons transmit these representations to the brain. Functional, morphological, and transcriptomic surveys have identified more than 40 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types in mice. RGCs extract features of varying complexity; some simply signal local differences in brightness (i.e., luminance contrast), whereas others detect specific motion trajectories. To understand the retina, we need to know how retinal circuits give rise to the diverse RGC feature representations. A catalog of the RGC feature set, in turn, is fundamental to understanding visual processing in the brain. Anterograde tracing indicates that RGCs innervate more than 50 areas in the mouse brain. Current maps connecting RGC types to brain areas are rudimentary, as is our understanding of how retinal signals are transformed downstream to guide behavior. In this article, I review the feature selectivities of mouse RGCs, how they arise, and how they are utilized downstream. Not only is knowledge of the behavioral purpose of RGC signals critical for understanding the retinal contributions to vision; it can also guide us to the most relevant areas of visual feature space. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kerschensteiner
- John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Department of Neuroscience; Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA;
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27
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Zong W, Obenhaus HA, Skytøen ER, Eneqvist H, de Jong NL, Vale R, Jorge MR, Moser MB, Moser EI. Large-scale two-photon calcium imaging in freely moving mice. Cell 2022; 185:1240-1256.e30. [PMID: 35305313 PMCID: PMC8970296 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We developed a miniaturized two-photon microscope (MINI2P) for fast, high-resolution, multiplane calcium imaging of over 1,000 neurons at a time in freely moving mice. With a microscope weight below 3 g and a highly flexible connection cable, MINI2P allowed stable imaging with no impediment of behavior in a variety of assays compared to untethered, unimplanted animals. The improved cell yield was achieved through a optical system design featuring an enlarged field of view (FOV) and a microtunable lens with increased z-scanning range and speed that allows fast and stable imaging of multiple interleaved planes, as well as 3D functional imaging. Successive imaging across multiple, adjacent FOVs enabled recordings from more than 10,000 neurons in the same animal. Large-scale proof-of-principle data were obtained from cell populations in visual cortex, medial entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus, revealing spatial tuning of cells in all areas. We made a light-weight 2-photon miniscope for calcium imaging in freely moving mice Stable high-quality imaging was observed during a wide spectrum of behaviors Activity can be monitored in volumes of over 1,000 visual or entorhinal-cortex cells A custom-designed z-scanning module allows fast imaging across multiple planes
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijian Zong
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway.
| | - Horst A Obenhaus
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Emilie R Skytøen
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Hanna Eneqvist
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Nienke L de Jong
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Ruben Vale
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Marina R Jorge
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - May-Britt Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway
| | - Edvard I Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim NO-7491, Norway.
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28
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Narushima M, Agetsuma M, Nabekura J. Development and experience-dependent modulation of the defensive behaviors of mice to visual threats. J Physiol Sci 2022; 72:5. [PMID: 35255805 PMCID: PMC10717832 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-022-00831-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Rodents demonstrate defensive behaviors such as fleeing or freezing upon recognizing a looming shadow above them. Although individuals' experiences in their habitat can modulate the defensive behavior phenotype, the effects of systematically manipulating the individual's visual experience on vision-guided defensive behaviors have not been studied. We aimed to describe the developmental process of defensive behaviors in response to visual threats and the effects of visual deprivation. We found that the probability of escape response occurrence increased 3 weeks postnatally, and then stabilized. When visual experience was perturbed by dark rearing from postnatal day (P) 21 for a week, the developmental increase in escape probability was clearly suppressed, while the freezing probability increased. Intriguingly, exposure to the looming stimuli at P28 reversed the suppression of escape response development at P35. These results clearly indicate that the development of defensive behaviors in response to looming stimuli is affected by an individual's sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madoka Narushima
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Masakazu Agetsuma
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Junichi Nabekura
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
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29
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Ifere NO, Shidara H, Sato N, Ogawa H. Spatial perception mediated by insect antennal mechanosensory system. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274502. [PMID: 35072207 PMCID: PMC8920036 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals perceive their surroundings by using various modalities of sensory inputs to guide their locomotion. Nocturnal insects such as crickets use mechanosensory inputs mediated by their antennae to orient in darkness. Spatial information is acquired via voluntary antennal contacts with surrounding objects, but it remains unclear whether the insects modulate behaviors mediated by other sensory organs based on that information. Crickets exhibit escape behavior in response to a short air-puff, which is detected by the abdominal mechanosensory organs called cerci and is perceived as a “predator approach” signal. We placed objects of different shapes at different locations with which the cricket actively made contact using its antenna. We then examined the effects on wind-elicited escape behavior. The crickets changed their movement trajectory in response to nearby objects like walls so that they could avoid collision with these obstacles even during the cercal-mediated behavior. For instance, when a wall was placed in front of the crickets so that it was detected by one antenna, the escape trajectory in response to a stimulus from behind was significantly biased toward the side opposite the wall. Even when the antenna on the free side without the wall was ablated, this collision avoidance was also observed, suggesting that the mechanosensory inputs from one antenna detecting an object edge would be sufficient to perceive the location of obstacle in front. This study demonstrated that crickets were able to use the spatial information acquired with their antennal system to modify their behavior mediated by other sensory organs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hisashi Shidara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Nodoka Sato
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Hiroto Ogawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
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30
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Threat induces cardiac and metabolic changes that negatively impact survival in flies. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5462-5472.e4. [PMID: 34710349 PMCID: PMC8699741 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Adjusting to a dynamic environment involves fast changes in the body’s internal state, characterized by coordinated alterations in brain activity and physiological and motor responses. Threat-induced defensive states are a classic case of coordinated adjustment of bodily responses, cardiac regulation being one of the best characterized examples in vertebrates. A great deal is known regarding the neural basis of invertebrate defensive behaviors, mainly in Drosophila melanogaster. However, whether physiological changes accompany these remains unknown. Here, we set out to describe the internal bodily state of fruit flies upon an inescapable threat and found cardiac acceleration during running and deceleration during freezing. In addition, we found that freezing leads to increased cardiac pumping from the abdomen toward the head-thorax, suggesting mobilization of energy resources. Concordantly, threat-triggered freezing reduces sugar levels in the hemolymph and renders flies less resistant to starvation. The cardiac responses observed during freezing were absent during spontaneous immobility, underscoring the active nature of freezing response. Finally, we show that baseline cardiac activity predicts the amount of freezing upon threat. This work reveals a remarkable similarity with the cardiac responses of vertebrates, suggesting an evolutionarily convergent defensive state in flies. Our findings are at odds with the widespread view that cardiac deceleration while freezing has first evolved in vertebrates and that it is energy sparing. Investigating the physiological changes coupled to defensive behaviors in the fruit fly has revealed that freezing is costly yet accompanied by cardiac deceleration and points to heart activity as a key modulator of defensive behaviors. Flies show tight coupling between defensive behaviors and cardiac activity Flies bias cardiac pumping toward the head and thorax during defensive behaviors After prolonged freezing, sugar levels and resistance to starvation are decreased Cardiac reversal rate and rate variability are predictive of freezing intensity
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31
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MouseVenue3D: A Markerless Three-Dimension Behavioral Tracking System for Matching Two-Photon Brain Imaging in Free-Moving Mice. Neurosci Bull 2021; 38:303-317. [PMID: 34637091 PMCID: PMC8975979 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00778-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the connection between brain and behavior in animals requires precise monitoring of their behaviors in three-dimensional (3-D) space. However, there is no available three-dimensional behavior capture system that focuses on rodents. Here, we present MouseVenue3D, an automated and low-cost system for the efficient capture of 3-D skeleton trajectories in markerless rodents. We improved the most time-consuming step in 3-D behavior capturing by developing an automatic calibration module. Then, we validated this process in behavior recognition tasks, and showed that 3-D behavioral data achieved higher accuracy than 2-D data. Subsequently, MouseVenue3D was combined with fast high-resolution miniature two-photon microscopy for synchronous neural recording and behavioral tracking in the freely-moving mouse. Finally, we successfully decoded spontaneous neuronal activity from the 3-D behavior of mice. Our findings reveal that subtle, spontaneous behavior modules are strongly correlated with spontaneous neuronal activity patterns.
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32
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Cheriyamkunnel SJ, Rose S, Jacob PF, Blackburn LA, Glasgow S, Moorse J, Winstanley M, Moynihan PJ, Waddell S, Rezaval C. A neuronal mechanism controlling the choice between feeding and sexual behaviors in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4231-4245.e4. [PMID: 34358444 PMCID: PMC8538064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Animals must express the appropriate behavior that meets their most pressing physiological needs and their environmental context. However, it is currently unclear how alternative behavioral options are evaluated and appropriate actions are prioritized. Here, we describe how fruit flies choose between feeding and courtship; two behaviors necessary for survival and reproduction. We show that sex- and food-deprived male flies prioritize feeding over courtship initiation, and manipulation of food quality or the animal's internal state fine-tunes this decision. We identify the tyramine signaling pathway as an essential mediator of this decision. Tyramine biosynthesis is regulated by the fly's nutritional state and acts as a satiety signal, favoring courtship over feeding. Tyramine inhibits a subset of feeding-promoting tyramine receptor (TyrR)-expressing neurons and activates P1 neurons, a known command center for courtship. Conversely, the perception of a nutritious food source activates TyrR neurons and inhibits P1 neurons. Therefore, TyrR and P1 neurons are oppositely modulated by starvation, via tyramine levels, and food availability. We propose that antagonistic co-regulation of neurons controlling alternative actions is key to prioritizing competing drives in a context- dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saloni Rose
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Pedro F Jacob
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | | | - Shaleen Glasgow
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jacob Moorse
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mike Winstanley
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Carolina Rezaval
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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33
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Salay LD, Huberman AD. Divergent outputs of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus mediate visually evoked defensive behaviors. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109792. [PMID: 34610302 PMCID: PMC10954303 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid alternations between exploration and defensive reactions require ongoing risk assessment. How visual cues and internal states flexibly modulate the selection of behaviors remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN)-a major retinorecipient structure-is a critical node in the network controlling defensive behaviors to visual threats. We find that vLGNGABA neuron activity scales with the intensity of environmental illumination and is modulated by behavioral state. Chemogenetic activation of vLGNGABA neurons reduces freezing, whereas inactivation dramatically extends the duration of freezing to visual threats. Perturbations of vLGN activity disrupt exploration in brightly illuminated environments. We describe both a vLGN→nucleus reuniens (Re) circuit and a vLGN→superior colliculus (SC) circuit, which exert opposite influences on defensive responses. These findings reveal roles for genetic- and projection-defined vLGN subpopulations in modulating the expression of behavioral threat responses according to internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D Salay
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andrew D Huberman
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; BioX, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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34
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A step-by-step guide home. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1193-1195. [PMID: 34326539 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00893-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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35
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Mice learn multi-step routes by memorizing subgoal locations. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1270-1279. [PMID: 34326540 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00884-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral strategies that mammals use to learn multi-step routes are unknown. In this study, we investigated how mice navigate to shelter in response to threats when the direct path is blocked. Initially, they fled toward the shelter and negotiated obstacles using sensory cues. Within 20 min, they spontaneously adopted a subgoal strategy, initiating escapes by running directly to the obstacle's edge. Mice continued to escape in this manner even after the obstacle had been removed, indicating use of spatial memory. However, standard models of spatial learning-habitual movement repetition and internal map building-did not explain how subgoal memories formed. Instead, mice used a hybrid approach: memorizing salient locations encountered during spontaneous 'practice runs' to the shelter. This strategy was also used during a geometrically identical food-seeking task. These results suggest that subgoal memorization is a fundamental strategy by which rodents learn efficient multi-step routes in new environments.
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36
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Niell CM, Scanziani M. How Cortical Circuits Implement Cortical Computations: Mouse Visual Cortex as a Model. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:517-546. [PMID: 33914591 PMCID: PMC9925090 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-102320-085825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The mouse, as a model organism to study the brain, gives us unprecedented experimental access to the mammalian cerebral cortex. By determining the cortex's cellular composition, revealing the interaction between its different components, and systematically perturbing these components, we are obtaining mechanistic insight into some of the most basic properties of cortical function. In this review, we describe recent advances in our understanding of how circuits of cortical neurons implement computations, as revealed by the study of mouse primary visual cortex. Further, we discuss how studying the mouse has broadened our understanding of the range of computations performed by visual cortex. Finally, we address how future approaches will fulfill the promise of the mouse in elucidating fundamental operations of cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristopher M. Niell
- Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA
| | - Massimo Scanziani
- Department of Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA;
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37
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Daviu N, Bains JS. Should I Stay or Should I Go? CRHPVN Neurons Gate State Transitions in Stress-Related Behaviors. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6206556. [PMID: 33787875 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus are the canonical controllers of the endocrine response to stress. Here we propose a new role for these cells as a gate for state transitions that allow the organism to engage in stress-related behaviors. Specifically, we review evidence indicating that activation of these cells at critical times allows organisms to move to a state that is permissive for motor action. This is evident when the organism is under duress (defensive behavior), when the organism has successfully vanquished a threat (coping behavior), and when an organism initiates approach to a conspecific (social behavior). The motor behavior that follows from the activation of CRH neurons is not necessarily under the control of these cells but is determined by higher order circuits that discriminate more refined features of environmental context to execute the appropriate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Daviu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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38
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Changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity related to the acquisition of a spatial task in the Barnes maze. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2021.101711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Basso MA, Bickford ME, Cang J. Unraveling circuits of visual perception and cognition through the superior colliculus. Neuron 2021; 109:918-937. [PMID: 33548173 PMCID: PMC7979487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The superior colliculus is a conserved sensorimotor structure that integrates visual and other sensory information to drive reflexive behaviors. Although the evidence for this is strong and compelling, a number of experiments reveal a role for the superior colliculus in behaviors usually associated with the cerebral cortex, such as attention and decision-making. Indeed, in addition to collicular outputs targeting brainstem regions controlling movements, the superior colliculus also has ascending projections linking it to forebrain structures including the basal ganglia and amygdala, highlighting the fact that the superior colliculus, with its vast inputs and outputs, can influence processing throughout the neuraxis. Today, modern molecular and genetic methods combined with sophisticated behavioral assessments have the potential to make significant breakthroughs in our understanding of the evolution and conservation of neuronal cell types and circuits in the superior colliculus that give rise to simple and complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele A Basso
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | | | - Jianhua Cang
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Storchi R, Milosavljevic N, Allen AE, Zippo AG, Agnihotri A, Cootes TF, Lucas RJ. A High-Dimensional Quantification of Mouse Defensive Behaviors Reveals Enhanced Diversity and Stimulus Specificity. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4619-4630.e5. [PMID: 33007242 PMCID: PMC7728163 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Instinctive defensive behaviors, consisting of stereotyped sequences of movements and postures, are an essential component of the mouse behavioral repertoire. Since defensive behaviors can be reliably triggered by threatening sensory stimuli, the selection of the most appropriate action depends on the stimulus property. However, since the mouse has a wide repertoire of motor actions, it is not clear which set of movements and postures represent the relevant action. So far, this has been empirically identified as a change in locomotion state. However, the extent to which locomotion alone captures the diversity of defensive behaviors and their sensory specificity is unknown. To tackle this problem, we developed a method to obtain a faithful 3D reconstruction of the mouse body that enabled to quantify a wide variety of motor actions. This higher dimensional description revealed that defensive behaviors are more stimulus specific than indicated by locomotion data. Thus, responses to distinct stimuli that were equivalent in terms of locomotion (e.g., freezing induced by looming and sound) could be discriminated along other dimensions. The enhanced stimulus specificity was explained by a surprising diversity. A clustering analysis revealed that distinct combinations of movements and postures, giving rise to at least 7 different behaviors, were required to account for stimulus specificity. Moreover, each stimulus evoked more than one behavior, revealing a robust one-to-many mapping between sensations and behaviors that was not apparent from locomotion data. Our results indicate that diversity and sensory specificity of mouse defensive behaviors unfold in a higher dimensional space, spanning multiple motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Storchi
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Nina Milosavljevic
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Annette E Allen
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Antonio G Zippo
- Institute of Neuroscience, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
| | - Aayushi Agnihotri
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Timothy F Cootes
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Science, School of Health Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Science, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Piette C, Touboul J, Venance L. Engrams of Fast Learning. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:575915. [PMID: 33250712 PMCID: PMC7676431 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.575915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fast learning designates the behavioral and neuronal mechanisms underlying the acquisition of a long-term memory trace after a unique and brief experience. As such it is opposed to incremental, slower reinforcement or procedural learning requiring repetitive training. This learning process, found in most animal species, exists in a large spectrum of natural behaviors, such as one-shot associative, spatial, or perceptual learning, and is a core principle of human episodic memory. We review here the neuronal and synaptic long-term changes associated with fast learning in mammals and discuss some hypotheses related to their underlying mechanisms. We first describe the variety of behavioral paradigms used to test fast learning memories: those preferentially involve a single and brief (from few hundred milliseconds to few minutes) exposures to salient stimuli, sufficient to trigger a long-lasting memory trace and new adaptive responses. We then focus on neuronal activity patterns observed during fast learning and the emergence of long-term selective responses, before documenting the physiological correlates of fast learning. In the search for the engrams of fast learning, a growing body of evidence highlights long-term changes in gene expression, structural, intrinsic, and synaptic plasticities. Finally, we discuss the potential role of the sparse and bursting nature of neuronal activity observed during the fast learning, especially in the induction plasticity mechanisms leading to the rapid establishment of long-term synaptic modifications. We conclude with more theoretical perspectives on network dynamics that could enable fast learning, with an overview of some theoretical approaches in cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Piette
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, INSERM U1050, CNRS UMR7241, Université PSL, Paris, France.,Department of Mathematics and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States
| | - Jonathan Touboul
- Department of Mathematics and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States
| | - Laurent Venance
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, INSERM U1050, CNRS UMR7241, Université PSL, Paris, France
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42
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Lees RN, Akbar AF, Badea TC. Retinal ganglion cell defects cause decision shifts in visually evoked defense responses. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1530-1549. [PMID: 32997561 PMCID: PMC8356780 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00474.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of visual cues can trigger defensive reactions in mice and other species. In mice, looming stimuli that mimic an approaching aerial predator elicit flight or freezing reactions, while sweeping stimuli that mimic an aerial predator flying parallel to the ground typically elicit freezing. The retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types involved in these circuits are largely unknown. We previously discovered that loss of RGC subpopulations in Brn3b knockout mice results in distinct visual response deficits. Here, we report that retinal or global loss of Brn3b selectively ablates the fleeing response to looming stimuli while leaving the freeze response intact. In contrast, freezing responses to sweeping stimuli are significantly affected. Genetic manipulations removing three RGC subpopulations (Brn3a+ betta RGCs, Opn4+Brn3b+, and Brn3c+Brn3b+ RGCs) result in milder phenocopies of Brn3b knockout response deficits. These findings show that flight and freezing responses to distinct visual cues are mediated by circuits that can already be separated at the level of the retina, potentially by enlisting dedicated RGC types.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Flight and freezing response choices evoked by visual stimuli are controlled by brain stem and thalamic circuits. Genetically modified mice with loss of specific retinal ganglion cell (RGC) subpopulations have altered flight versus freezing choices in response to some but not other visual stimuli. This finding suggests that "threatening" visual stimuli may be computed already at the level of the retina and communicated via dedicated pathways (RGCs) to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Nicole Lees
- Retinal Circuit Development and Genetics Unit, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Armaan Fazal Akbar
- Retinal Circuit Development and Genetics Unit, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tudor Constantin Badea
- Retinal Circuit Development and Genetics Unit, Neurobiology-Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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43
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Deichler A, Carrasco D, Lopez-Jury L, Vega-Zuniga T, Márquez N, Mpodozis J, Marín GJ. A specialized reciprocal connectivity suggests a link between the mechanisms by which the superior colliculus and parabigeminal nucleus produce defensive behaviors in rodents. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16220. [PMID: 33004866 PMCID: PMC7530999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72848-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The parabigeminal nucleus (PBG) is the mammalian homologue to the isthmic complex of other vertebrates. Optogenetic stimulation of the PBG induces freezing and escape in mice, a result thought to be caused by a PBG projection to the central nucleus of the amygdala. However, the isthmic complex, including the PBG, has been classically considered satellite nuclei of the Superior Colliculus (SC), which upon stimulation of its medial part also triggers fear and avoidance reactions. As the PBG-SC connectivity is not well characterized, we investigated whether the topology of the PBG projection to the SC could be related to the behavioral consequences of PBG stimulation. To that end, we performed immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and neural tracer injections in the SC and PBG in a diurnal rodent, the Octodon degus. We found that all PBG neurons expressed both glutamatergic and cholinergic markers and were distributed in clearly defined anterior (aPBG) and posterior (pPBG) subdivisions. The pPBG is connected reciprocally and topographically to the ipsilateral SC, whereas the aPBG receives afferent axons from the ipsilateral SC and projected exclusively to the contralateral SC. This contralateral projection forms a dense field of terminals that is restricted to the medial SC, in correspondence with the SC representation of the aerial binocular field which, we also found, in O. degus prompted escape reactions upon looming stimulation. Therefore, this specialized topography allows binocular interactions in the SC region controlling responses to aerial predators, suggesting a link between the mechanisms by which the SC and PBG produce defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Deichler
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Denisse Carrasco
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luciana Lopez-Jury
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tomas Vega-Zuniga
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Natalia Márquez
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo J Marín
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Y Biología del Conocer, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras, 3425, Santiago, Chile.
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile.
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Abstract
Escape is one of the most studied animal behaviors, and there is a rich normative theory that links threat properties to evasive actions and their timing. The behavioral principles of escape are evolutionarily conserved and rely on elementary computational steps such as classifying sensory stimuli and executing appropriate movements. These are common building blocks of general adaptive behaviors. Here we consider the computational challenges required for escape behaviors to be implemented, discuss possible algorithmic solutions, and review some of the underlying neural circuits and mechanisms. We outline shared neural principles that can be implemented by evolutionarily ancient neural systems to generate escape behavior, to which cortical encephalization has been added to allow for increased sophistication and flexibility in responding to threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Redgrave
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, United Kingdom
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45
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The influence of subcortical shortcuts on disordered sensory and cognitive processing. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:264-276. [PMID: 32269315 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0287-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The very earliest stages of sensory processing have the potential to alter how we perceive and respond to our environment. These initial processing circuits can incorporate subcortical regions, such as the thalamus and brainstem nuclei, which mediate complex interactions with the brain's cortical processing hierarchy. These subcortical pathways, many of which we share with other animals, are not merely vestigial but appear to function as 'shortcuts' that ensure processing efficiency and preservation of vital life-preserving functions, such as harm avoidance, adaptive social interactions and efficient decision-making. Here, we propose that functional interactions between these higher-order and lower-order brain areas contribute to atypical sensory and cognitive processing that characterizes numerous neuropsychiatric disorders.
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46
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Blok J, Black DA, Petersen J, Sawatari A, Leamey CA. Environmental Enrichment Rescues Visually-Mediated Behavior in Ten-m3 Knockout Mice During an Early Critical Period. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:22. [PMID: 32158383 PMCID: PMC7052109 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00022] [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: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to promote neural plasticity. Its capacity to induce functional repair in models which exhibit profound sensory deficits due to aberrant axonal guidance has not been well-characterized. Ten-m3 knockout (KO) mice exhibit a highly-stereotyped miswiring of ipsilateral retinogeniculate axons and associated profound deficits in binocularly-mediated visual behavior. We determined whether, and when, EE can drive functional recovery by analyzing Ten-m3 KO and wildtype (WT) mice that were enriched for 6 weeks from adulthood, weaning or birth in comparison to standard-housed controls. EE initiated from birth, but not later, rescued the response of Ten-m3 KOs to the "looming" stimulus (expanding disc in dorsal visual field), suggesting improved visual function. EE can thus induce recovery of visual behavior, but only during an early developmentally-restricted time-window.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Blok
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Dylan A Black
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin Petersen
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Atomu Sawatari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine A Leamey
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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47
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Abstract
Modern decision neuroscience offers a powerful and broad account of human behaviour using computational techniques that link psychological and neuroscientific approaches to the ways that individuals can generate near-optimal choices in complex controlled environments. However, until recently, relatively little attention has been paid to the extent to which the structure of experimental environments relates to natural scenarios, and the survival problems that individuals have evolved to solve. This situation not only risks leaving decision-theoretic accounts ungrounded but also makes various aspects of the solutions, such as hard-wired or Pavlovian policies, difficult to interpret in the natural world. Here, we suggest importing concepts, paradigms and approaches from the fields of ethology and behavioural ecology, which concentrate on the contextual and functional correlates of decisions made about foraging and escape and address these lacunae.
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48
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Mangieri LR, Jiang Z, Lu Y, Xu Y, Cassidy RM, Justice N, Xu Y, Arenkiel BR, Tong Q. Defensive Behaviors Driven by a Hypothalamic-Ventral Midbrain Circuit. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0156-19.2019. [PMID: 31331938 PMCID: PMC6664144 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0156-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) regulates stress, feeding behaviors and other homeostatic processes, but whether PVH also drives defensive states remains unknown. Here we showed that photostimulation of PVH neurons in mice elicited escape jumping, a typical defensive behavior. We mapped PVH outputs that densely terminate in the ventral midbrain (vMB) area, and found that activation of the PVH→vMB circuit produced profound defensive behavioral changes, including escape jumping, hiding, hyperlocomotion, and learned aversion. Electrophysiological recordings showed excitatory postsynaptic input onto vMB neurons via PVH fiber activation, and in vivo studies demonstrated that glutamate transmission from PVH→vMB was required for the evoked behavioral responses. Photostimulation of PVH→vMB fibers induced cFos expression mainly in non-dopaminergic neurons. Using a dual optogenetic-chemogenetic strategy, we further revealed that escape jumping and hiding were partially contributed by the activation of midbrain glutamatergic neurons. Taken together, our work unveils a hypothalamic-vMB circuit that encodes defensive properties, which may be implicated in stress-induced defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandra R Mangieri
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience of MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Zhiying Jiang
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yungang Lu
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yuanzhong Xu
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Ryan M Cassidy
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience of MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Nicholas Justice
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience of MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Yong Xu
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Benjamin R Arenkiel
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Qingchun Tong
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience of MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030
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49
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Storchi R, Rodgers J, Gracey M, Martial FP, Wynne J, Ryan S, Twining CJ, Cootes TF, Killick R, Lucas RJ. Measuring vision using innate behaviours in mice with intact and impaired retina function. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10396. [PMID: 31316114 PMCID: PMC6637134 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46836-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Measuring vision in rodents is a critical step for understanding vision, improving models of human disease, and developing therapies. Established behavioural tests for perceptual vision, such as the visual water task, rely on learning. The learning process, while effective for sighted animals, can be laborious and stressful in animals with impaired vision, requiring long periods of training. Current tests that that do not require training are based on sub-conscious, reflex responses (e.g. optokinetic nystagmus) that don't require involvement of visual cortex and higher order thalamic nuclei. A potential alternative for measuring vision relies on using visually guided innate defensive responses, such as escape or freeze, that involve cortical and thalamic circuits. In this study we address this possibility in mice with intact and degenerate retinas. We first develop automatic methods to detect behavioural responses based on high dimensional tracking and changepoint detection of behavioural time series. Using those methods, we show that visually guided innate responses can be elicited using parametisable stimuli, and applied to describing the limits of visual acuity in healthy animals and discriminating degrees of visual dysfunction in mouse models of retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Storchi
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - J Rodgers
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - M Gracey
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - F P Martial
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - J Wynne
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - S Ryan
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - C J Twining
- School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - T F Cootes
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - R Killick
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - R J Lucas
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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50
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Evans DA, Stempel AV, Vale R, Branco T. Cognitive Control of Escape Behaviour. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:334-348. [PMID: 30852123 PMCID: PMC6438863 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
When faced with potential predators, animals instinctively decide whether there is a threat they should escape from, and also when, how, and where to take evasive action. While escape is often viewed in classical ethology as an action that is released upon presentation of specific stimuli, successful and adaptive escape behaviour relies on integrating information from sensory systems, stored knowledge, and internal states. From a neuroscience perspective, escape is an incredibly rich model that provides opportunities for investigating processes such as perceptual and value-based decision-making, or action selection, in an ethological setting. We review recent research from laboratory and field studies that explore, at the behavioural and mechanistic levels, how elements from multiple information streams are integrated to generate flexible escape behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic A Evans
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - A Vanessa Stempel
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ruben Vale
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, UCL, London, UK.
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