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Santos TB, de Oliveira Coelho CA, Kramer-Soares JC, Frankland PW, Oliveira MGM. Reactivation of encoding ensembles in the prelimbic cortex supports temporal associations. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1296-1308. [PMID: 38454052 PMCID: PMC11224261 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01825-2] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is encoded by strengthening synaptic connections between the neurons activated by a conditioned stimulus (CS) and those activated by an unconditioned stimulus (US), forming a memory engram, which is reactivated during memory retrieval. In temporal associations, activity within the prelimbic cortex (PL) plays a role in sustaining a short-term, transient memory of the CS, which is associated with the US after a temporal gap. However, it is unknown whether the PL has only a temporary role, transiently representing the CS, or is part of the neuronal ensembles that support the retrieval, i.e., whether PL neurons support both transient, short-term memories and stable, long-term memories. We investigated neuronal ensembles underlying temporal associations using fear conditioning with a 5-s interval between the CS and US (CFC-5s). Controls were trained in contextual fear conditioning (CFC), in which the CS-US overlaps. We used Robust Activity Marking (RAM) to selectively manipulate PL neurons activated by CFC-5s learning and Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (TRAP2) mice to label neurons activated by CFC-5s learning and reactivated by memory retrieval in the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, perirhinal cortices (PER) and subiculum. We also computed their co-reactivation to generate correlation-based networks. The optogenetic reactivation or silencing of PL encoding ensembles either promoted or impaired the retrieval of CFC-5s but not CFC. CFC-5s retrieval reactivated encoding ensembles in the PL, PER, and basolateral amygdala. The engram network of CFC-5s had higher amygdala and PER centralities and interconnectivity. The same PL neurons support learning and stable associative memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays Brenner Santos
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil.
| | | | - Juliana Carlota Kramer-Soares
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil
- Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - UNICSUL, São Paulo, 08060-070, Brazil
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
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2
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Liu Y, Ye S, Li XN, Li WG. Memory Trace for Fear Extinction: Fragile yet Reinforceable. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:777-794. [PMID: 37812300 PMCID: PMC11178705 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01129-3] [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: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is a biological process in which learned fear behavior diminishes without anticipated reinforcement, allowing the organism to re-adapt to ever-changing situations. Based on the behavioral hypothesis that extinction is new learning and forms an extinction memory, this new memory is more readily forgettable than the original fear memory. The brain's cellular and synaptic traces underpinning this inherently fragile yet reinforceable extinction memory remain unclear. Intriguing questions are about the whereabouts of the engram neurons that emerged during extinction learning and how they constitute a dynamically evolving functional construct that works in concert to store and express the extinction memory. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the engram circuits and their neural connectivity plasticity for fear extinction, aiming to establish a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamic competition between fear and extinction memories in adaptive control of conditioned fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuai Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xin-Ni Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wei-Guang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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3
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Cattani A, Arnold DB, McCarthy M, Kopell N. Basolateral amygdala oscillations enable fear learning in a biophysical model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.28.538604. [PMID: 37163011 PMCID: PMC10168360 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key site where fear learning takes place through synaptic plasticity. Rodent research shows prominent low theta (~3-6 Hz), high theta (~6-12 Hz), and gamma (>30 Hz) rhythms in the BLA local field potential recordings. However, it is not understood what role these rhythms play in supporting the plasticity. Here, we create a biophysically detailed model of the BLA circuit to show that several classes of interneurons (PV, SOM, and VIP) in the BLA can be critically involved in producing the rhythms; these rhythms promote the formation of a dedicated fear circuit shaped through rhythmic gating of spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Each class of interneurons is necessary for the plasticity. We find that the low theta rhythm is a biomarker of successful fear conditioning. Finally, we discuss how the peptide released by the VIP cell may alter the dynamics of plasticity to support the necessary fine timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cattani
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Don B Arnold
- Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Michelle McCarthy
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Nancy Kopell
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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4
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Shen XY, Zhang J, Huang HZ, Li SD, Zhou L, Wu SP, Tang C, Huang X, Liu ZQ, Guo ZY, Li X, Man HY, Lu YM, Zhu LQ, Liu D. The interaction of Synapsin 2a and Synaptogyrin-3 regulates fear extinction in mice. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172802. [PMID: 38175724 PMCID: PMC10866652 DOI: 10.1172/jci172802] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms behind a lack of efficient fear extinction in some individuals are unclear. Here, by employing a principal components analysis-based approach, we differentiated the mice into extinction-resistant and susceptible groups. We determined that elevated synapsin 2a (Syn2a) in the infralimbic cortex (IL) to basolateral amygdala (BLA) circuit disrupted presynaptic orchestration, leading to an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the BLA region and causing extinction resistance. Overexpression or silencing of Syn2a levels in IL neurons replicated or alleviated behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical phenotypes in resistant mice. We further identified that the proline-rich domain H in the C-terminus of Syn2a was indispensable for the interaction with synaptogyrin-3 (Syngr3) and demonstrated that disrupting this interaction restored extinction impairments. Molecular docking revealed that ritonavir, an FDA-approved HIV drug, could disrupt Syn2a-Syngr3 binding and rescue fear extinction behavior in Syn2a-elevated mice. In summary, the aberrant elevation of Syn2a expression and its interaction with Syngr3 at the presynaptic site were crucial in fear extinction resistance, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue for related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Ya Shen
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - He-Zhou Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shao-Dan Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ling Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shi-Ping Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Cheng Tang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xian Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zi-Yuan Guo
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Neurosurgery and
- Brain Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Heng-Ye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - You-Ming Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Santos TB, Kramer-Soares JC, Coelho CAO, Oliveira MGM. Temporal association activates projections from the perirhinal cortex and ventral CA1 to the prelimbic cortex and from the prelimbic cortex to the basolateral amygdala. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11456-11470. [PMID: 37823340 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad375] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In trace fear conditioning, the prelimbic cortex exhibits persistent activity during the interval between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli, which maintains a conditioned stimulus representation. Regions cooperating for this function or encoding the conditioned stimulus before the interval could send inputs to the prelimbic cortex, supporting learning. The basolateral amygdala has conditioned stimulus- and unconditioned stimulus-responsive neurons, convergently activated. The prelimbic cortex could directly project to the basolateral amygdala to associate the transient memory of the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus. We investigated the neuronal circuit supporting temporal associations using contextual fear conditioning with a 5-s interval, in which 5 s separates the contextual conditioned stimulus from the unconditioned stimulus. Injecting retrobeads, we quantified c-Fos in prelimbic cortex- or basolateral amygdala-projecting neurons from 9 regions after contextual fear conditioning with a 5-s interval or contextual fear conditioning, in which the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli overlap. The contextual fear conditioning with a 5-s interval activated ventral CA1 and perirhinal cortex neurons projecting to the prelimbic cortex and prelimbic cortex neurons projecting to basolateral amygdala. Both fear conditioning activated ventral CA1 and lateral entorhinal cortex neurons projecting to basolateral amygdala and basolateral amygdala neurons projecting to prelimbic cortex. The perirhinal cortex → prelimbic cortex and ventral CA1 → prelimbic cortex connections are the first identified prelimbic cortex afferent projections participating in temporal associations. These results help to understand time-linked memories, a process required in episodic and working memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays B Santos
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Juliana C Kramer-Soares
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
- Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul-UNICSUL, São Paulo 08060-070, Brazil
| | - Cesar A O Coelho
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Maria G M Oliveira
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
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Grieco SF, Johnston KG, Gao P, Garduño BM, Tang B, Yi E, Sun Y, Horwitz GD, Yu Z, Holmes TC, Xu X. Anatomical and molecular characterization of parvalbumin-cholecystokinin co-expressing inhibitory interneurons: implications for neuropsychiatric conditions. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5293-5308. [PMID: 37443194 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02153-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons are crucial to brain function and their dysfunction is implicated in neuropsychiatric conditions. Emerging evidence indicates that cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing interneurons (CCK+) are highly heterogenous. We find that a large subset of parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons express CCK strongly; between 40 and 56% of PV+ interneurons in mouse hippocampal CA1 express CCK. Primate interneurons also exhibit substantial PV/CCK co-expression. Mouse PV+/CCK+ and PV+/CCK- cells show distinguishable electrophysiological and molecular characteristics. Analysis of single nuclei RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data shows that PV+/CCK+ cells are a subset of PV+ cells, not of synuclein gamma positive (SNCG+) cells, and that they strongly express oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes. We find that mitochondrial complex I and IV-associated OXPHOS gene expression is strongly correlated with CCK expression in PV+ interneurons at both the transcriptomic and protein levels. Both PV+ interneurons and dysregulation of OXPHOS processes are implicated in neuropsychiatric conditions, including autism spectrum (ASD) disorder and schizophrenia (SCZ). Analysis of human brain samples from patients with these conditions shows alterations in OXPHOS gene expression. Together these data reveal important molecular characteristics of PV-CCK co-expressing interneurons and support their implication in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven F Grieco
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Kevin G Johnston
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Mathematics, School of Physical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Pan Gao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - B Maximiliano Garduño
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Bryan Tang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Elsie Yi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Yanjun Sun
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Gregory D Horwitz
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Zhaoxia Yu
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Statistics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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7
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Wang CM, Wu CY, Lin CE, Hsu MC, Lin JC, Huang CC, Lien TY, Lin HK, Chang TW, Chiang HC. Forgotten memory storage and retrieval in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7153. [PMID: 37935667 PMCID: PMC10630420 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42753-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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Inaccessibility of stored memory in ensemble cells through the forgetting process causes animals to be unable to respond to natural recalling cues. While accumulating evidence has demonstrated that reactivating memory-stored cells can switch cells from an inaccessible state to an accessible form and lead to recall of previously learned information, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain elusive. The current study used Drosophila as a model to demonstrate that the memory of one-trial aversive olfactory conditioning, although inaccessible within a few hours after learning, is stored in KCαβ and retrievable after mild retraining. One-trial aversive conditioning triggers protein synthesis to form a long-lasting cellular memory trace, approximately 20 days, via creb in KCαβ, and a transient cellular memory trace, approximately one day, via orb in MBON-α3. PPL1-α3 negatively regulates forgotten one-trial conditioning memory retrieval. The current study demonstrated that KCαβ, PPL1-α3, and MBON-α3 collaboratively regulate the formation of forgotten one-cycle aversive conditioning memory formation and retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Ming Wang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chun-Yuan Wu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chen-En Lin
- Department of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Chi Hsu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jing-Chun Lin
- Department of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chuan-Chin Huang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ting-Yu Lien
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsin-Kai Lin
- Department of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ting-Wei Chang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsueh-Cheng Chiang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
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8
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Jeanneteau F. Fast signaling by glucocorticoids shapes neural representations of behaviors. Steroids 2023; 199:109294. [PMID: 37549777 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2023.109294] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are stress hormones that play central roles in the immediate and slower adaptive responses of the brain and body to new behavioral experience. The exact mechanisms by which the rapid and slow processes underlying glucocorticoid mnemonic effects unfold are under intensive scrutiny. It is possible that glucocorticoids rapidly modify memory representations in the brain by interfering with synaptic functions between inhibitory and excitatory neurons in a timing and context dependent manner. In particular, activity-dependent trans-synaptic messengers appear to have all the necessary attributes to engage in the rapid signaling by glucocorticoids and regulate the brain and behaviors. Novel frameworks for the treatment of stress-related disorders could emerge from a better characterization of the dynamic interplay between the rapid and slow signaling components by glucocorticoids on large-scale brain networks. Here I present some of the exact factors that could help reach this objective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy Jeanneteau
- Institut de génomique fonctionnelle , Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34090, Montpellier, France.
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9
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Sepahvand T, Nazari N, Qin T, Rajani V, Yuan Q. Olfactory threat extinction in the piriform cortex: An age-dependent employment of NMDA receptor-dependent long-term depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309986120. [PMID: 37878718 PMCID: PMC10622944 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309986120] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Extinction of threat memory is a measure of behavioral flexibility. In the absence of additional reinforcement, the extinction of learned behaviors allows animals and humans to adapt to their changing environment. Extinction mechanisms and their therapeutic implications for maladaptive learning have been extensively studied. However, how aging affects extinction learning is much less understood. Using a rat model of olfactory threat extinction, we show that the extinction of olfactory threat memory is impaired in aged Sprague-Darley rats. Following extinction training, long-term depression (LTD) in the piriform cortex (PC) was inducible ex vivo in aged rats and was NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-independent. On the other hand, adult rats acquired successful olfactory threat extinction, and LTD was not inducible following extinction training. Neuronal cFos activation in the posterior PC correlated with learning and extinction performance in rats. NMDAR blockade either systemically or locally in the PC during extinction training prevented successful extinction in adult rats, following which NMDAR-dependent LTD became inducible ex vivo. This suggests that extinction learning employs NMDAR-dependent LTD mechanisms in the PC of adult rats, thus occluding further LTD induction ex vivo. The rescue of olfactory threat extinction in aged rats by D-cycloserine, a partial NMDAR agonist, suggests that the impairment in olfactory threat extinction of aged animals may relate to NMDAR hypofunctioning and a lack of NMDAR-dependent LTD. These findings are consistent with an age-related switch from NMDAR-dependent to NMDAR-independent LTD in the PC. Optimizing NMDAR function in sensory cortices may improve learning and flexible behavior in the aged population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayebeh Sepahvand
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Negar Nazari
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tian Qin
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Vishaal Rajani
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NLA1B 3V6, Canada
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Laricchiuta D, Gimenez J, Sciamanna G, Termine A, Fabrizio C, Della Valle F, Caioli S, Saba L, De Bardi M, Balsamo F, Panuccio A, Passarello N, Mattioni A, Bisicchia E, Zona C, Orlando V, Petrosini L. Synaptic and transcriptomic features of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predict inefficient fear extinction. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113066. [PMID: 37656620 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear-related disorders arise from inefficient fear extinction and have immeasurable social and economic costs. Here, we characterize mouse phenotypes that spontaneously show fear-independent behavioral traits predicting adaptive or maladaptive fear extinction. We find that, already before fear conditioning, specific morphological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic patterns of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predispose to fear-related disorders. Finally, by using an optogenetic approach, we show the possibility to rescue inefficient fear extinction by activating infralimbic pyramidal neurons and to impair fear extinction by activating prelimbic pyramidal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giuseppe Sciamanna
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesco Della Valle
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Silvia Caioli
- Unit of Neurology, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | - Luana Saba
- University of Campus Biomedico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Panuccio
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Noemi Passarello
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Cristina Zona
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Orlando
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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11
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Sepahvand T, Power KD, Qin T, Yuan Q. The Basolateral Amygdala: The Core of a Network for Threat Conditioning, Extinction, and Second-Order Threat Conditioning. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1274. [PMID: 37886984 PMCID: PMC10604397 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Threat conditioning, extinction, and second-order threat conditioning studied in animal models provide insight into the brain-based mechanisms of fear- and anxiety-related disorders and their treatment. Much attention has been paid to the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in such processes, an overview of which is presented in this review. More recent evidence suggests that the BLA serves as the core of a greater network of structures in these forms of learning, including associative and sensory cortices. The BLA is importantly regulated by hippocampal and prefrontal inputs, as well as by the catecholaminergic neuromodulators, norepinephrine and dopamine, that may provide important prediction-error or learning signals for these forms of learning. The sensory cortices may be required for the long-term storage of threat memories. As such, future research may further investigate the potential of the sensory cortices for the long-term storage of extinction and second-order conditioning memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada; (T.S.); (K.D.P.); (T.Q.)
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12
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Veres JM, Fekete Z, Müller K, Andrasi T, Rovira-Esteban L, Barabas B, Papp OI, Hajos N. Fear learning and aversive stimuli differentially change excitatory synaptic transmission in perisomatic inhibitory cells of the basal amygdala. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1120338. [PMID: 37731462 PMCID: PMC10507864 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1120338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory circuits in the basal amygdala (BA) have been shown to play a crucial role in associative fear learning. How the excitatory synaptic inputs received by BA GABAergic interneurons are influenced by memory formation, a network parameter that may contribute to learning processes, is still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the features of excitatory synaptic transmission received by the three types of perisomatic inhibitory interneurons upon cue-dependent fear conditioning and aversive stimulus and tone presentations without association. Acute slices were prepared from transgenic mice: one group received tone presentation only (conditioned stimulus, CS group), the second group was challenged by mild electrical shocks unpaired with the CS (unsigned unconditioned stimulus, unsigned US group) and the third group was presented with the CS paired with the US (signed US group). We found that excitatory synaptic inputs (miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, mEPSCs) recorded in distinct interneuron types in the BA showed plastic changes with different patterns. Parvalbumin (PV) basket cells in the unsigned US and signed US group received mEPSCs with reduced amplitude and rate in comparison to the only CS group. Coupling the US and CS in the signed US group caused a slight increase in the amplitude of the events in comparison to the unsigned US group, where the association of CS and US does not take place. Excitatory synaptic inputs onto cholecystokinin (CCK) basket cells showed a markedly different change from PV basket cells in these behavioral paradigms: only the decay time was significantly faster in the unsigned US group compared to the only CS group, whereas the amplitude of mEPSCs increased in the signed US group compared to the only CS group. Excitatory synaptic inputs received by PV axo-axonic cells showed the least difference in the three behavioral paradigm: the only significant change was that the rate of mEPSCs increased in the signed US group when compared to the only CS group. These results collectively show that associative learning and aversive stimuli unpaired with CS cause different changes in excitatory synaptic transmission in BA perisomatic interneuron types, supporting the hypothesis that they play distinct roles in the BA network operations upon pain information processing and fear memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit M. Veres
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Fekete
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Müller
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Andrasi
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laura Rovira-Esteban
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bence Barabas
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya I. Papp
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Norbert Hajos
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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13
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Jeanneteau F. Stress and the risk of Alzheimer dementia: Can deconstructed engrams be rebuilt? J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13235. [PMID: 36775895 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13235] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The exact neuropathological mechanism by which the dementia process unfolds is under intense scrutiny. The disease affects about 38 million people worldwide, 70% of which are clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). If the destruction of synapses essential for learning, planning and decision-making is part of the problem, must the restoration of previously lost synapses be part of the solution? It is plausible that neuronal capacity to restitute information corresponds with the adaptive capacity of its connectivity reserve. A challenge will be to promote the functional connectivity that can compensate for the lost one. This will require better clarification of the remodeling of functional connectivity during the progression of AD dementia and its reversal upon experimental treatment. A major difficulty is to promote the neural pathways that are atrophied in AD dementia while suppressing others that are bolstered. Therapeutic strategies should aim at scaling functional connectivity to a just balance between the atrophic and hypertrophic systems. However, the exact factors that can help reach this objective are still unclear. Similarities between the effects of chronic stress and some neuropathological mechanisms underlying AD dementia support the idea that common components deserve prime attention as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy Jeanneteau
- Institut de génomique fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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14
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Lee H, Kaang BK. How engram mediates learning, extinction, and relapse. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102723. [PMID: 37030026 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Fear learning ensures survival through an expression of certain behavior as a conditioned fear response. Fear memory is processed and stored in a fear memory circuit, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. A gradual decrease in conditioned fear response can be induced by fear extinction, which is mediated through the weakening of the original fear memory traces and the newly formed inhibition of those traces. Fear memory can also recover after extinction, which shows flexible control of the fear memory state. Here, we demonstrate how fear engram, which is a physical substrate of fear memory, changes during fear extinction and relapse by reviewing recent studies regarding engram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoonwon Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea.
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15
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Helmbrecht H, Lin TJ, Janakiraman S, Decker K, Nance E. Prevalence and practices of immunofluorescent cell image processing: a systematic review. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1188858. [PMID: 37545881 PMCID: PMC10400723 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1188858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We performed a systematic review that identified at least 9,000 scientific papers on PubMed that include immunofluorescent images of cells from the central nervous system (CNS). These CNS papers contain tens of thousands of immunofluorescent neural images supporting the findings of over 50,000 associated researchers. While many existing reviews discuss different aspects of immunofluorescent microscopy, such as image acquisition and staining protocols, few papers discuss immunofluorescent imaging from an image-processing perspective. We analyzed the literature to determine the image processing methods that were commonly published alongside the associated CNS cell, microscopy technique, and animal model, and highlight gaps in image processing documentation and reporting in the CNS research field. Methods We completed a comprehensive search of PubMed publications using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and other general search terms for CNS cells and common fluorescent microscopy techniques. Publications were found on PubMed using a combination of column description terms and row description terms. We manually tagged the comma-separated values file (CSV) metadata of each publication with the following categories: animal or cell model, quantified features, threshold techniques, segmentation techniques, and image processing software. Results Of the almost 9,000 immunofluorescent imaging papers identified in our search, only 856 explicitly include image processing information. Moreover, hundreds of the 856 papers are missing thresholding, segmentation, and morphological feature details necessary for explainable, unbiased, and reproducible results. In our assessment of the literature, we visualized current image processing practices, compiled the image processing options from the top twelve software programs, and designed a road map to enhance image processing. We determined that thresholding and segmentation methods were often left out of publications and underreported or underutilized for quantifying CNS cell research. Discussion Less than 10% of papers with immunofluorescent images include image processing in their methods. A few authors are implementing advanced methods in image analysis to quantify over 40 different CNS cell features, which can provide quantitative insights in CNS cell features that will advance CNS research. However, our review puts forward that image analysis methods will remain limited in rigor and reproducibility without more rigorous and detailed reporting of image processing methods. Conclusion Image processing is a critical part of CNS research that must be improved to increase scientific insight, explainability, reproducibility, and rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hawley Helmbrecht
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Teng-Jui Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sanjana Janakiraman
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kaleb Decker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Nance
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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16
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Lavertu-Jolin M, Chattopadhyaya B, Chehrazi P, Carrier D, Wünnemann F, Leclerc S, Dumouchel F, Robertson D, Affia H, Saba K, Gopal V, Patel AB, Andelfinger G, Pineyro G, Di Cristo G. Acan downregulation in parvalbumin GABAergic cells reduces spontaneous recovery of fear memories. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2946-2963. [PMID: 37131076 PMCID: PMC10615765 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02085-0] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
While persistence of fear memories is essential for survival, a failure to inhibit fear in response to harmless stimuli is a feature of anxiety disorders. Extinction training only temporarily suppresses fear memory recovery in adults, but it is highly effective in juvenile rodents. Maturation of GABAergic circuits, in particular of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) cells, restricts plasticity in the adult brain, thus reducing PV+ cell maturation could promote the suppression of fear memories following extinction training in adults. Epigenetic modifications such as histone acetylation control gene accessibility for transcription and help couple synaptic activity to changes in gene expression. Histone deacetylase 2 (Hdac2), in particular, restrains both structural and functional synaptic plasticity. However, whether and how Hdac2 controls the maturation of postnatal PV+ cells is not well understood. Here, we show that PV+- cell specific Hdac2 deletion limits spontaneous fear memory recovery in adult mice, while enhancing PV+ cell bouton remodeling and reducing perineuronal net aggregation around PV+ cells in prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala. Prefrontal cortex PV+ cells lacking Hdac2, show reduced expression of Acan, a critical perineuronal net component, which is rescued by Hdac2 re-expression. Pharmacological inhibition of Hdac2 before extinction training is sufficient to reduce both spontaneous fear memory recovery and Acan expression in wild-type adult mice, while these effects are occluded in PV+-cell specific Hdac2 conditional knockout mice. Finally, a brief knock-down of Acan expression mediated by intravenous siRNA delivery before extinction training but after fear memory acquisition is sufficient to reduce spontaneous fear recovery in wild-type mice. Altogether, these data suggest that controlled manipulation of PV+ cells by targeting Hdac2 activity, or the expression of its downstream effector Acan, promotes the long-term efficacy of extinction training in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Lavertu-Jolin
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Pegah Chehrazi
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Denise Carrier
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Florian Wünnemann
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine & Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Séverine Leclerc
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Félix Dumouchel
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Derek Robertson
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hicham Affia
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kamal Saba
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Vijaya Gopal
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Anant Bahadur Patel
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Gregor Andelfinger
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Graçiela Pineyro
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Graziella Di Cristo
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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17
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Ramsaran AI, Wang Y, Golbabaei A, Aleshin S, de Snoo ML, Yeung BRA, Rashid AJ, Awasthi A, Lau J, Tran LM, Ko SY, Abegg A, Duan LC, McKenzie C, Gallucci J, Ahmed M, Kaushik R, Dityatev A, Josselyn SA, Frankland PW. A shift in the mechanisms controlling hippocampal engram formation during brain maturation. Science 2023; 380:543-551. [PMID: 37141366 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade6530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The ability to form precise, episodic memories develops with age, with young children only able to form gist-like memories that lack precision. The cellular and molecular events in the developing hippocampus that underlie the emergence of precise, episodic-like memory are unclear. In mice, the absence of a competitive neuronal engram allocation process in the immature hippocampus precluded the formation of sparse engrams and precise memories until the fourth postnatal week, when inhibitory circuits in the hippocampus mature. This age-dependent shift in precision of episodic-like memories involved the functional maturation of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in subfield CA1 through assembly of extracellular perineuronal nets, which is necessary and sufficient for the onset of competitive neuronal allocation, sparse engram formation, and memory precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam I Ramsaran
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ying Wang
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ali Golbabaei
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stepan Aleshin
- Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mitchell L de Snoo
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bi-Ru Amy Yeung
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Asim J Rashid
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ankit Awasthi
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jocelyn Lau
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lina M Tran
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Vector Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sangyoon Y Ko
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrin Abegg
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lana Chunan Duan
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cory McKenzie
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julia Gallucci
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Moriam Ahmed
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rahul Kaushik
- Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Dityatev
- Molecular Neuroplasticity, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sheena A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Brain, Mind, & Consciousness Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Joyce MKP, Wang J, Barbas H. Subgenual and Hippocampal Pathways in Amygdala Are Set to Balance Affect and Context Processing. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3061-3080. [PMID: 36977583 PMCID: PMC10146557 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2066-22.2023] [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: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, hippocampus, and subgenual cortex area 25 (A25) are engaged in complex cognitive-emotional processes. Yet pathway interactions from hippocampus and A25 with postsynaptic sites in amygdala remain largely unknown. In rhesus monkeys of both sexes, we studied with neural tracers how pathways from A25 and hippocampus interface with excitatory and inhibitory microcircuits in amygdala at multiple scales. We found that both hippocampus and A25 innervate distinct as well as overlapping sites of the basolateral (BL) amygdalar nucleus. Unique hippocampal pathways heavily innervated the intrinsic paralaminar basolateral nucleus, which is associated with plasticity. In contrast, orbital A25 preferentially innervated another intrinsic network, the intercalated masses, an inhibitory reticulum that gates amygdalar autonomic output and inhibits fear-related behaviors. Finally, using high-resolution confocal and electron microscopy (EM), we found that among inhibitory postsynaptic targets in BL, both hippocampal and A25 pathways preferentially formed synapses with calretinin (CR) neurons, which are known for disinhibition and may enhance excitatory drive in the amygdala. Among other inhibitory postsynaptic sites, A25 pathways innervated the powerful parvalbumin (PV) neurons which may flexibly regulate the gain of neuronal assemblies in the BL that affect the internal state. In contrast, hippocampal pathways innervated calbindin (CB) inhibitory neurons, which modulate specific excitatory inputs for processing context and learning correct associations. Common and unique patterns of innervation in amygdala by hippocampus and A25 have implications for how complex cognitive and emotional processes may be selectively disrupted in psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus, subgenual A25, and amygdala are associated with learning, memory, and emotions. We found that A25 is poised to affect diverse amygdalar processes, from emotional expression to fear learning by innervating the basal complex and the intrinsic intercalated masses. Hippocampal pathways uniquely interacted with another intrinsic amygdalar nucleus which is associated with plasticity, suggesting flexible processing of signals in context for learning. In the basolateral (BL) amygdala, which has a role in fear learning, both hippocampal and A25 interacted preferentially with disinhibitory neurons, suggesting a boost in excitation. The two pathways diverged in innervating other classes of inhibitory neurons, suggesting circuit specificities that could become perturbed in psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
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19
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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20
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Bauer EP. Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
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21
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Singh S, Topolnik L. Inhibitory circuits in fear memory and fear-related disorders. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1122314. [PMID: 37035504 PMCID: PMC10076544 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1122314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear learning and memory rely on dynamic interactions between the excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations that make up the prefrontal cortical, amygdala, and hippocampal circuits. Whereas inhibition of excitatory principal cells (PCs) by GABAergic neurons restrains their excitation, inhibition of GABAergic neurons promotes the excitation of PCs through a process called disinhibition. Specifically, GABAergic interneurons that express parvalbumin (PV+) and somatostatin (SOM+) provide inhibition to different subcellular domains of PCs, whereas those that express the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP+) facilitate disinhibition of PCs by inhibiting PV+ and SOM+ interneurons. Importantly, although the main connectivity motifs and the underlying network functions of PV+, SOM+, and VIP+ interneurons are replicated across cortical and limbic areas, these inhibitory populations play region-specific roles in fear learning and memory. Here, we provide an overview of the fear processing in the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex based on the evidence obtained in human and animal studies. Moreover, focusing on recent findings obtained using genetically defined imaging and intervention strategies, we discuss the population-specific functions of PV+, SOM+, and VIP+ interneurons in fear circuits. Last, we review current insights that integrate the region-specific inhibitory and disinhibitory network patterns into fear memory acquisition and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-informatics, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Lisa Topolnik
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-informatics, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Lisa Topolnik
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22
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Zaki Y, Mau W, Cincotta C, Monasterio A, Odom E, Doucette E, Grella SL, Merfeld E, Shpokayte M, Ramirez S. Hippocampus and amygdala fear memory engrams re-emerge after contextual fear relapse. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1992-2001. [PMID: 35941286 PMCID: PMC9485238 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01407-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The formation and extinction of fear memories represent two forms of learning that each engage the hippocampus and amygdala. How cell populations in these areas contribute to fear relapse, however, remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that, in male mice, cells active during fear conditioning in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus exhibit decreased activity during extinction and are re-engaged after contextual fear relapse. In vivo calcium imaging reveals that relapse drives population dynamics in the basolateral amygdala to revert to a network state similar to the state present during fear conditioning. Finally, we find that optogenetic inactivation of neuronal ensembles active during fear conditioning in either the hippocampus or amygdala is sufficient to disrupt fear expression after relapse, while optogenetic stimulation of these same ensembles after extinction is insufficient to artificially mimic fear relapse. These results suggest that fear relapse triggers a partial re-emergence of the original fear memory representation, providing new insight into the neural substrates of fear relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosif Zaki
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - William Mau
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Christine Cincotta
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Amy Monasterio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Emma Odom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Emily Doucette
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Stephanie L Grella
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Emily Merfeld
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Monika Shpokayte
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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23
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Ostos S, Aparicio G, Fernaud-Espinosa I, DeFelipe J, Muñoz A. Quantitative analysis of the GABAergic innervation of the soma and axon initial segment of pyramidal cells in the human and mouse neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:3882-3909. [PMID: 36058205 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Perisomatic GABAergic innervation in the cerebral cortex is carried out mostly by basket and chandelier cells, which differentially participate in the control of pyramidal cell action potential output and synchronization. These cells establish multiple synapses with the cell body (and proximal dendrites) and the axon initial segment (AIS) of pyramidal neurons, respectively. Using multiple immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy and 3D quantification techniques, we have estimated the number and density of GABAergic boutons on the cell body and AIS of pyramidal neurons located through cortical layers of the human and mouse neocortex. The results revealed, in both species, that there is clear variability across layers regarding the density and number of perisomatic GABAergic boutons. We found a positive linear correlation between the surface area of the soma, or the AIS, and the number of GABAergic terminals in apposition to these 2 neuronal domains. Furthermore, the density of perisomatic GABAergic boutons was higher in the human cortex than in the mouse. These results suggest a selectivity for the GABAergic innervation of the cell body and AIS that might be related to the different functional attributes of the microcircuits in which neurons from different layers are involved in both human and mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Ostos
- Departamento de Neurobiología Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Aparicio
- Departamento de Neurobiología Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Fernaud-Espinosa
- Departamento de Neurobiología Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Departamento de Neurobiología Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.,CIBERNED, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Avenida Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Muñoz
- Departamento de Neurobiología Funcional y de Sistemas, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus de Montegancedo, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Biología Celular, Universidad Complutense, José Antonio Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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24
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Vasudevan K, Ramanathan KR, Vierkant V, Maren S. Nucleus reuniens inactivation does not impair consolidation or reconsolidation of fear extinction. LEARNING & MEMORY (COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y.) 2022; 29:216-222. [PMID: 35902273 PMCID: PMC9374271 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053611.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent data reveal that the thalamic nucleus reuniens (RE) has a critical role in the extinction of conditioned fear. Muscimol (MUS) infusions into the RE impair within-session extinction of conditioned freezing and result in poor long-term extinction memories in rats. Although this suggests that RE inactivation impairs extinction learning, it is also possible that it is involved in the consolidation of extinction memories. To examine this possibility, we examined the effects of RE inactivation on the consolidation and reconsolidation of fear extinction in male and female rats. Twenty-four hours after auditory fear conditioning, rats underwent an extinction procedure (45 CS-alone trials) in a novel context and were infused with saline (SAL) or MUS within minutes of the final extinction trial. Twenty-four hours later, conditioned freezing to the extinguished CS was assessed in the extinction context. Postextinction inactivation of the RE did not affect extinction retrieval. In a second experiment, rats underwent extinction training and, 24 h later, were presented with a single CS to reactivate the extinction memory; rats were infused with SAL or MUS immediately after the reactivation session. Pharmacological inactivation of the RE did not affect conditioned freezing measured in a drug-free retrieval test the following day. Importantly, we found in a subsequent test that MUS infusions immediately before retrieval testing increased conditioned freezing and impaired extinction retrieval, as we have previously reported. These results indicate that although RE inactivation impairs the expression of extinction, it does not impair either the consolidation or reconsolidation of extinction memories. We conclude that the RE may have a critical role in suppressing context-inappropriate fear memories in the extinction context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krithika Vasudevan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Karthik R Ramanathan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Valerie Vierkant
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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25
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Leal Santos S, Chen BK, Pereira GR, Pham V, Denny CA. Propranolol Administration Modulates Neural Activity in the Hippocampal Hilus During Fear Retrieval. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:919831. [PMID: 35874651 PMCID: PMC9301278 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.919831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered fear learning is a strong behavioral component of anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent efforts have attempted to combine exposure therapies with drugs that target fear memory retrieval and memory reconsolidation, in order to improve treatment efficacy. The noradrenergic (NA) signaling system is of particular interest, due to its role in regulating the stress response and its involvement in fear and learning processes. Importantly, propranolol (P), a non-selective β-adrenergic antagonist, has shown the potential in decreasing exaggerated fear in both humans and animal models. In a previous study, we utilized an activity-dependent tagging murine model to determine the neural mechanisms by which propranolol attenuates learned fear. We found that propranolol acutely decreased memory trace reactivation specifically in the dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG), but not in CA3 or CA1. Here, we extended our previous study by investigating whether propranolol additionally altered activity in the hilus, a polymorphic layer that consists of neurons, mossy cells, and GABAergic interneurons. We found that propranolol acutely reduced overall hilar activity in both the dorsal and ventral hilus. Moreover, we report that propranolol significantly altered the activity of parvalbumin (PV)+ cells in the ventral (vDG), but not dorsal DG (dDG). Together, these results suggest that a β-adrenergic blockade may affect the activity of excitatory and inhibitory cell types in the hilar layer of the DG, and that these alterations may contribute to manipulating fear memory traces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Leal Santos
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e da Saúde (ICVS)/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Briana K. Chen
- Neurobiology and Behavior (NB&B) Graduate Program, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Guilherme R. Pereira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e da Saúde (ICVS)/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Vananh Pham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States
| | - Christine A. Denny
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Christine A. Denny,
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26
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Ortega-de San Luis C, Ryan TJ. Understanding the physical basis of memory: Molecular mechanisms of the engram. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101866. [PMID: 35346687 PMCID: PMC9065729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory, defined as the storage and use of learned information in the brain, is necessary to modulate behavior and critical for animals to adapt to their environments and survive. Despite being a cornerstone of brain function, questions surrounding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of how information is encoded, stored, and recalled remain largely unanswered. One widely held theory is that an engram is formed by a group of neurons that are active during learning, which undergoes biochemical and physical changes to store information in a stable state, and that are later reactivated during recall of the memory. In the past decade, the development of engram labeling methodologies has proven useful to investigate the biology of memory at the molecular and cellular levels. Engram technology allows the study of individual memories associated with particular experiences and their evolution over time, with enough experimental resolution to discriminate between different memory processes: learning (encoding), consolidation (the passage from short-term to long-term memories), and storage (the maintenance of memory in the brain). Here, we review the current understanding of memory formation at a molecular and cellular level by focusing on insights provided using engram technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Ortega-de San Luis
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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27
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Stujenske JM, O'Neill PK, Fernandes-Henriques C, Nahmoud I, Goldburg SR, Singh A, Diaz L, Labkovich M, Hardin W, Bolkan SS, Reardon TR, Spellman TJ, Salzman CD, Gordon JA, Liston C, Likhtik E. Prelimbic cortex drives discrimination of non-aversion via amygdala somatostatin interneurons. Neuron 2022; 110:2258-2267.e11. [PMID: 35397211 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala and prelimbic cortex (PL) communicate during fear discrimination retrieval, but how they coordinate discrimination of a non-threatening stimulus is unknown. Here, we show that somatostatin (SOM) interneurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) become active specifically during learned non-threatening cues and desynchronize cell firing by blocking phase reset of theta oscillations during the safe cue. Furthermore, we show that SOM activation and desynchronization of the BLA is PL-dependent and promotes discrimination of non-threat. Thus, fear discrimination engages PL-dependent coordination of BLA SOM responses to non-threatening stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Stujenske
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Pia-Kelsey O'Neill
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Carolina Fernandes-Henriques
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Itzick Nahmoud
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | | | - Ashna Singh
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Laritza Diaz
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | | | | | - Scott S Bolkan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA
| | | | - Timothy J Spellman
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - C Daniel Salzman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Joshua A Gordon
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ekaterina Likhtik
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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28
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Alfieri V, Mattera A, Baldassarre G. Neural Circuits Underlying Social Fear in Rodents: An Integrative Computational Model. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:841085. [PMID: 35350477 PMCID: PMC8957808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.841085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social avoidance in rodents arises from a complex interplay between the prefrontal cortex and subcortical structures, such as the ventromedial hypothalamus and the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter. Experimental studies are revealing the contribution of these areas, but an integrative view and model of how they interact to produce adaptive behavior are still lacking. Here, we present a computational model of social avoidance, proposing a set of integrated hypotheses on the possible macro organization of the brain system underlying this phenomenon. The model is validated by accounting for several different empirical findings and produces predictions to be tested in future experiments.
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29
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Namkung H, Thomas KL, Hall J, Sawa A. Parsing neural circuits of fear learning and extinction across basic and clinical neuroscience: Towards better translation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104502. [PMID: 34921863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, studies of fear learning and extinction have advanced our understanding of the neurobiology of threat and safety learning. Animal studies can provide mechanistic/causal insights into human brain regions and their functional connectivity involved in fear learning and extinction. Findings in humans, conversely, may further enrich our understanding of neural circuits in animals by providing macroscopic insights at the level of brain-wide networks. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement in translation between basic and clinical research on fear learning and extinction. Through the lens of neural circuits, in this article, we aim to review the current knowledge of fear learning and extinction in both animals and humans, and to propose strategies to fill in the current knowledge gap for the purpose of enhancing clinical benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Namkung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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30
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Yan Y, Aierken A, Wang C, Jin W, Quan Z, Wang Z, Qing H, Ni J, Zhao J. Neuronal Circuits Associated with Fear Memory: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuroscientist 2022; 29:332-351. [PMID: 35057666 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that is associated with long-lasting memories of traumatic experiences. Extinction and discrimination of fear memory have become therapeutic targets for PTSD. Newly developed optogenetics and advanced in vivo imaging techniques have provided unprecedented spatiotemporal tools to characterize the activity, connectivity, and functionality of specific cell types in complicated neuronal circuits. The use of such tools has offered mechanistic insights into the exquisite organization of the circuitry underlying the extinction and discrimination of fear memory. This review focuses on the acquisition of more detailed, comprehensive, and integrated neural circuits to understand how the brain regulates the extinction and discrimination of fear memory. A future challenge is to translate these researches into effective therapeutic treatment for PTSD from the perspective of precise regulation of the neural circuits associated with the extinction and discrimination of fear memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Ailikemu Aierken
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chunjian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Aerospace Medical Center, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
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31
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Ryan TJ, Frankland PW. Forgetting as a form of adaptive engram cell plasticity. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:173-186. [PMID: 35027710 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
One leading hypothesis suggests that memories are stored in ensembles of neurons (or 'engram cells') and that successful recall involves reactivation of these ensembles. A logical extension of this idea is that forgetting occurs when engram cells cannot be reactivated. Forms of 'natural forgetting' vary considerably in terms of their underlying mechanisms, time course and reversibility. However, we suggest that all forms of forgetting involve circuit remodelling that switches engram cells from an accessible state (where they can be reactivated by natural recall cues) to an inaccessible state (where they cannot). In many cases, forgetting rates are modulated by environmental conditions and we therefore propose that forgetting is a form of neuroplasticity that alters engram cell accessibility in a manner that is sensitive to mismatches between expectations and the environment. Moreover, we hypothesize that disease states associated with forgetting may hijack natural forgetting mechanisms, resulting in reduced engram cell accessibility and memory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. .,Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. .,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. .,Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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32
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The role of negative emotions in sex differences in pain sensitivity. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118685. [PMID: 34740794 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain perception varies widely among individuals due to the varying degrees of biological, psychological, and social factors. Notably, sex differences in pain sensitivity have been consistently observed in various experimental and clinical investigations. However, the neuropsychological mechanism underlying sex differences in pain sensitivity remains unclear. To address this issue, we quantified pain sensitivity (i.e., pain threshold and tolerance) using the cold pressure test and negative emotions (i.e., pain-related fear, pain-related anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression) using well-established questionnaires and collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data (i.e., high-resolution T1 structural images and resting-state functional images) from 450 healthy subjects. We observed that, as compared to males, females exhibited lower pain threshold and tolerance. Notably, sex differences in pain sensitivity were mediated by pain-related fear and anxiety. Specifically, pain-related fear and anxiety were the complementary mediators of the relationship between sex and pain threshold, and they were the indirect-only mediators of the relationship between sex and pain tolerance. Besides, structural MRI data revealed that the amygdala subnuclei (i.e., the lateral and basal nuclei in the left hemisphere) volumes were the complementary mediators of the relationship between sex and pain-related fear, which further influenced pain sensitivity. Altogether, our results provided a comprehensive picture of how negative emotions (especially pain-related negative emotions) and related brain structures (especially the amygdala) contribute to sex differences in pain sensitivity. These results deepen our understanding of the neuropsychological underpinnings of sex differences in pain sensitivity, which is important to tailor a personalized method for treating pain according to sex and the level of pain-related negative emotions for patients with painful conditions.
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Yau JOY, Chaichim C, Power JM, McNally GP. The Roles of Basolateral Amygdala Parvalbumin Neurons in Fear Learning. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9223-9234. [PMID: 34561234 PMCID: PMC8570827 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2461-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is obligatory for fear learning. This learning is linked to BLA excitatory projection neurons whose activity is regulated by complex networks of inhibitory interneurons, dominated by parvalbumin (PV)-expressing GABAergic neurons. The roles of these GABAergic interneurons in learning to fear and learning not to fear, activity profiles of these interneurons across the course of fear learning, and whether or how these change across the course of learning all remain poorly understood. Here, we used PV cell-type-specific recording and manipulation approaches in male transgenic PV-Cre rats during pavlovian fear conditioning to address these issues. We show that activity of BLA PV neurons during the moments of aversive reinforcement controls fear learning about aversive events, but activity during moments of nonreinforcement does not control fear extinction learning. Furthermore, we show expectation-modulation of BLA PV neurons during fear learning, with greater activity to an unexpected than expected aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). This expectation-modulation was specifically because of BLA PV neuron sensitivity to aversive prediction error. Finally, we show that BLA PV neuron function in fear learning is conserved across these variations in prediction error. We suggest that aversive prediction-error modulation of PV neurons could enable BLA fear-learning circuits to retain selectivity for specific sensory features of aversive USs despite variations in the strength of US inputs, thereby permitting the rapid updating of fear associations when these sensory features change.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The capacity to learn about sources of danger in the environment is essential for survival. This learning depends on complex microcircuitries of inhibitory interneurons in the basolateral amygdala. Here, we show that parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons in the rat basolateral amygdala are important for fear learning during moments of danger, but not for extinction learning during moments of safety, and that the activity of these neurons is modulated by expectation of danger. This may enable fear-learning circuits to retain selectivity for specific aversive events across variations in expectation, permitting the rapid updating of learning when aversive events change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Oi-Yue Yau
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Chanchanok Chaichim
- Department of Physiology, Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - John M Power
- Department of Physiology, Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Lesnikova A, Casarotto P, Moliner R, Fred SM, Biojone C, Castrén E. Perineuronal Net Receptor PTPσ Regulates Retention of Memories. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:672475. [PMID: 34366821 PMCID: PMC8339997 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.672475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) have an important physiological role in the retention of learning by restricting cognitive flexibility. Their deposition peaks after developmental periods of intensive learning, usually in late childhood, and they help in long-term preservation of newly acquired skills and information. Modulation of PNN function by various techniques enhances plasticity and regulates the retention of memories, which may be beneficial when memory persistence entails negative symptoms such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, we investigated the role of PTPσ [receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase S, a phosphatase that is activated by binding of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) from PNNs] in retention of memories using Novel Object Recognition and Fear Conditioning models. We observed that mice haploinsufficient for PTPRS gene (PTPσ+/–), although having improved short-term object recognition memory, display impaired long-term memory in both Novel Object Recognition and Fear Conditioning paradigm, as compared to WT littermates. However, PTPσ+/– mice did not show any differences in behavioral tests that do not heavily rely on cognitive flexibility, such as Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field, Marble Burying, and Forced Swimming Test. Since PTPσ has been shown to interact with and dephosphorylate TRKB, we investigated activation of this receptor and its downstream pathways in limbic areas known to be associated with memory. We found that phosphorylation of TRKB and PLCγ are increased in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdaloid complex of PTPσ+/– mice, but other TRKB-mediated signaling pathways are not affected. Our data suggest that PTPσ downregulation promotes TRKB phosphorylation in different brain areas, improves short-term memory performance but disrupts long-term memory retention in the tested animal models. Inhibition of PTPσ or disruption of PNN-PTPσ-TRKB complex might be a potential target for disorders where negative modulation of the acquired memories can be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Plinio Casarotto
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rafael Moliner
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Senem Merve Fred
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Caroline Biojone
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eero Castrén
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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35
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Hájos N. Interneuron Types and Their Circuits in the Basolateral Amygdala. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:687257. [PMID: 34177472 PMCID: PMC8222668 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.687257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a cortical structure based on its cell types, connectivity features, and developmental characteristics. This part of the amygdala is considered to be the main entry site of processed and multisensory information delivered via cortical and thalamic afferents. Although GABAergic inhibitory cells in the BLA comprise only 20% of the entire neuronal population, they provide essential control over proper network operation. Previous studies have uncovered that GABAergic cells in the basolateral amygdala are as diverse as those present in other cortical regions, including the hippocampus and neocortex. To understand the role of inhibitory cells in various amygdala functions, we need to reveal the connectivity and input-output features of the different types of GABAergic cells. Here, I review the recent achievements in uncovering the diversity of GABAergic cells in the basolateral amygdala with a specific focus on the microcircuit organization of these inhibitory cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Hájos
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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36
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Lee J, An B, Choi S. Longitudinal recordings of single units in the basal amygdala during fear conditioning and extinction. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11177. [PMID: 34045527 PMCID: PMC8159982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90530-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The balance between activities of fear neurons and extinction neurons in the basolateral nucleus of the basal amygdala (BAL) has been hypothesized to encode fear states after extinction. However, it remains unclear whether these neurons are solely responsible for encoding fear states. In this study, we stably recorded single-unit activities in the BAL during fear conditioning and extinction for 3 days, providing a comprehensive view on how different BAL neurons respond during fear learning. We found BAL neurons that showed excitatory responses to the conditioned stimulus (CS) after fear conditioning ('conditioning-potentiated neurons') and another population that showed excitatory responses to the CS after extinction ('extinction-potentiated neurons'). Interestingly, we also found BAL neurons that developed inhibitory responses to the CS after fear conditioning ('conditioning-inhibited neurons') or after extinction ('extinction-inhibited neurons'). BAL neurons that showed excitatory responses to the CS displayed various functional connectivity with each other, whereas less connectivity was observed among neurons with inhibitory responses to the CS. Intriguingly, we found correlative neuronal activities between conditioning-potentiated neurons and neurons with inhibitory responses to the CS. Our findings suggest that distinct BAL neurons, which are responsive to the CS with excitation or inhibition, encode various facets of fear conditioning and extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junghwa Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bobae An
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Sukwoo Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Mizuno I, Matsuda S. The role of endocannabinoids in consolidation, retrieval, reconsolidation, and extinction of fear memory. Pharmacol Rep 2021; 73:984-1003. [PMID: 33954935 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-021-00246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are involved in various physiological functions, including synaptic plasticity and memory, and some psychiatric disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), through the activation of cannabinoid (CB) receptors. Patients with PTSD often show excessive fear memory and impairment of fear extinction (FE). It has been reported that the stability of acquired fear memory is altered through multiple memory stages, such as consolidation and reconsolidation. FE also affects the stability of fear memory. Each stage of fear memory formation and FE are regulated by different molecular mechanisms, including the CB system. However, to the best of our knowledge, no review summarizes the role of the CB system during each stage of fear memory formation and FE. In this review, we summarize the roles of endocannabinoids in fear memory formation and FE. Moreover, based on the summary, we propose a new hypothesis for the role of endocannabinoids in fear regulation, and discuss treatment for PTSD using CB system-related drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikumi Mizuno
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165, Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8543, Japan
| | - Shingo Matsuda
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165, Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8543, Japan. .,Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan. .,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan.
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38
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Memories are not written in stone: Re-writing fear memories by means of non-invasive brain stimulation and optogenetic manipulations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:334-352. [PMID: 33964307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of fear associative memory requires brain processes of coordinated neural activity within the amygdala, prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, thalamus and brainstem. After fear consolidation, a suppression of fear memory in the absence of danger is crucial to permit adaptive coping behavior. Acquisition and maintenance of fear extinction critically depend on amygdala-PFC projections. The robust correspondence between the brain networks encompassed cortical and subcortical hubs involved into fear processing in humans and in other species underscores the potential utility of comparing the modulation of brain circuitry in humans and animals, as a crucial step to inform the comprehension of fear mechanisms and the development of treatments for fear-related disorders. The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive description of the literature on recent clinical and experimental researches regarding the noninvasive brain stimulation and optogenetics. These innovative manipulations applied over specific hubs of fear matrix during fear acquisition, consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction allow an accurate characterization of specific brain circuits and their peculiar interaction within the specific fear processing.
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Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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40
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Ryan TJ, Ortega-de San Luis C, Pezzoli M, Sen S. Engram cell connectivity: an evolving substrate for information storage. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 67:215-225. [PMID: 33812274 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding memory requires an explanation for how information can be stored in the brain in a stable state. The change in the brain that accounts for a given memory is referred to as an engram. In recent years, the term engram has been operationalized as the cells that are activated by a learning experience, undergoes plasticity, and are sufficient and necessary for memory recall. Using this framework, and a growing toolbox of related experimental techniques, engram manipulation has become a central topic in behavioral, systems, and molecular neuroscience. Recent research on the topic has provided novel insights into the mechanisms of long-term memory storage, and its overlap with instinct. We propose that memory and instinct may be embodied as isomorphic topological structures within the brain's microanatomical circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada.
| | - Clara Ortega-de San Luis
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Maurizio Pezzoli
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Siddhartha Sen
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices and School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
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41
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Warren WG, Papagianni EP, Stevenson CW, Stubbendorff C. In it together? The case for endocannabinoid-noradrenergic interactions in fear extinction. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:952-970. [PMID: 33759226 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and trauma-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are debilitating mental illnesses with great personal and socioeconomic costs. Examining memory formation and relevant behavioural responding associated with aversive stimuli may improve our understanding of the neurobiology underlying fear memory processing and PTSD treatment. The neurocircuitry underpinning learned fear and its inhibition through extinction is complex, involving synergistic interactions between different neurotransmitter systems in inter-connected brain areas. Endocannabinoid and noradrenergic transmission have both been implicated separately in fear memory processing and PTSD, but potential interactions between these systems in relation to fear extinction have received little attention to date. Their receptors are expressed together in brain areas crucial for fear extinction, which is enhanced by both cannabinoid and noradrenergic receptor activation in these areas. Moreover, cannabinoid signalling modulates the activity of locus coeruleus noradrenaline (NA) neurons and the release of NA in the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area that is crucial for fear extinction. Interestingly, endocannabinoid-noradrenergic system interactions have been shown to regulate the encoding and retrieval of fear memory. Thus, noradrenergic regulation of fear extinction may also be driven indirectly in part via cannabinoid receptor signalling. In this perspective paper, we collate the available relevant literature and propose a synergistic role for the endocannabinoid and noradrenergic systems in regulating fear extinction, the study of which may further our understanding of the neurobiological substrates of PTSD and its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Warren
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, UK
| | | | - Carl W Stevenson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, UK
| | - Christine Stubbendorff
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, UK.,Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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42
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Gunduz-Cinar O. The endocannabinoid system in the amygdala and modulation of fear. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 105:110116. [PMID: 32976951 PMCID: PMC7511205 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a persistent, trauma induced psychiatric condition characterized by lifelong complex cognitive, emotional and behavioral phenotype. Although many individuals that experience trauma are able to gradually diminish their emotional responding to trauma-related stimuli over time, known as extinction learning, individuals suffering from PTSD are impaired in this capacity. An inability to decline this initially normal and adaptive fear response, can be confronted with exposure-based therapies, often in combination with pharmacological treatments. Due to the complexity of PTSD, currently available pharmacotherapeutics are inadequate in treating the deficient extinction observed in many PTSD patients. To develop novel therapeutics, researchers have exploited the conserved nature of fear and stress-associated behavioral responses and neurocircuits across species in an attempt to translate knowledge gained from preclinical studies into the clinic. There is growing evidence on the endocannabinoid modulation of fear and stress due to their 'on demand' synthesis and degradation. Involvement of the endocannabinoids in fear extinction makes the endocannabinoid system very attractive for finding effective therapeutics for trauma and stress related disorders. In this review, a brief introduction on neuroanatomy and circuitry of fear extinction will be provided as a model to study PTSD. Then, the endocannabinoid system will be discussed as an important component of extinction modulation. In this regard, anandamide degrading enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) will be exemplified as a target identified and validated strongly from preclinical to clinical translational studies of enhancing extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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43
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Maturation of amygdala inputs regulate shifts in social and fear behaviors: A substrate for developmental effects of stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:11-25. [PMID: 33581221 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Stress can negatively impact brain function and behaviors across the lifespan. However, stressors during adolescence have particularly harmful effects on brain maturation, and on fear and social behaviors that extend beyond adolescence. Throughout development, social behaviors are refined and the ability to suppress fear increases, both of which are dependent on amygdala activity. We review rodent literature focusing on developmental changes in social and fear behaviors, cortico-amygdala circuits underlying these changes, and how this circuitry is altered by stress. We first describe changes in fear and social behaviors from adolescence to adulthood and parallel developmental changes in cortico-amygdala circuitry. We propose a framework in which maturation of cortical inputs to the amygdala promote changes in social drive and fear regulation, and the particularly damaging effects of stress during adolescence may occur through lasting changes in this circuit. This framework may explain why anxiety and social pathologies commonly co-occur, adolescents are especially vulnerable to stressors impacting social and fear behaviors, and predisposed towards psychiatric disorders related to abnormal cortico-amygdala circuits.
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Laricchiuta D, Sciamanna G, Gimenez J, Termine A, Fabrizio C, Caioli S, Balsamo F, Panuccio A, De Bardi M, Saba L, Passarello N, Cutuli D, Mattioni A, Zona C, Orlando V, Petrosini L. Optogenetic Stimulation of Prelimbic Pyramidal Neurons Maintains Fear Memories and Modulates Amygdala Pyramidal Neuron Transcriptome. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020810. [PMID: 33467450 PMCID: PMC7830910 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction requires coordinated neural activity within the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Any behavior has a transcriptomic signature that is modified by environmental experiences, and specific genes are involved in functional plasticity and synaptic wiring during fear extinction. Here, we investigated the effects of optogenetic manipulations of prelimbic (PrL) pyramidal neurons and amygdala gene expression to analyze the specific transcriptional pathways associated to adaptive and maladaptive fear extinction. To this aim, transgenic mice were (or not) fear-conditioned and during the extinction phase they received optogenetic (or sham) stimulations over photo-activable PrL pyramidal neurons. At the end of behavioral testing, electrophysiological (neural cellular excitability and Excitatory Post-Synaptic Currents) and morphological (spinogenesis) correlates were evaluated in the PrL pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, transcriptomic cell-specific RNA-analyses (differential gene expression profiling and functional enrichment analyses) were performed in amygdala pyramidal neurons. Our results show that the optogenetic activation of PrL pyramidal neurons in fear-conditioned mice induces fear extinction deficits, reflected in an increase of cellular excitability, excitatory neurotransmission, and spinogenesis of PrL pyramidal neurons, and associated to strong modifications of the transcriptome of amygdala pyramidal neurons. Understanding the electrophysiological, morphological, and transcriptomic architecture of fear extinction may facilitate the comprehension of fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Giuseppe Sciamanna
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Juliette Gimenez
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Andrea Termine
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Carlo Fabrizio
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Silvia Caioli
- Unit of Neurology, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy;
| | - Francesca Balsamo
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Anna Panuccio
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
- Department of Psychology, University “Sapienza” of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco De Bardi
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Luana Saba
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Noemi Passarello
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Debora Cutuli
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
- Department of Psychology, University “Sapienza” of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Mattioni
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
| | - Cristina Zona
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Valerio Orlando
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
- Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (J.G.); (A.T.); (C.F.); (F.B.); (A.P.); (M.D.B.); (L.S.); (N.P.); (D.C.); (A.M.); (V.O.); (L.P.)
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Yaeger JD, Krupp KT, Gale JJ, Summers CH. Counterbalanced microcircuits for Orx1 and Orx2 regulation of stress reactivity. MEDICINE IN DRUG DISCOVERY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medidd.2020.100059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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46
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García-Amado M, Prensa L. Neurons Expressing Parvalbumin and Calretinin in the Human Amygdaloid Complex: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis in Every Nucleus and Nuclear Subdivision. Neuroscience 2020; 452:153-168. [PMID: 33220188 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The primate amygdaloid complex (AC) contains projection neurons as well as subsets of interneurons (IN), many of which express calcium-binding proteins, that through their local circuits control the activity of the projection neurons. The inhibitory parvalbumin (PV) and calretinin (CR)-positive (+) AC IN have a crucial role in the appearance of synchronized oscillations in local ensembles of projection neurons that mediate the consolidation and recall of fear memories. The GABAergic transmission of these subsets of IN is modulated by dopamine. To expand the knowledge regarding the cellular composition and distribution of IN in the human AC, we focused on two non-overlapping populations: the PV+ and CR+. We have analyzed the distribution of these IN throughout the AC from subjects without any neurological or psychiatric disorders and estimated their absolute number and density using stereological methods. We have also provided percentages of the IN with respect to the total AC neurons. The CR + IN were distributed throughout the AC, whereas the PV+ were only present in the basolateral nuclear group. The quantity of CR + IN was four times higher than that of PV+ and the percentages varied from less than 1% for PV + IN to 6-20% for CR+. The differences in quantity and distribution of CR+ and PV + IN could be related to their differential inhibitory properties and to the intrinsic and extrinsic connections of every amygdaloid region.
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Affiliation(s)
- María García-Amado
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Medical School, Autonomous University of Madrid, c/ Arzobispo Morcillo 2, 28029 Madrid Spain.
| | - Lucía Prensa
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Medical School, Autonomous University of Madrid, c/ Arzobispo Morcillo 2, 28029 Madrid Spain
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47
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Mattera A, Pagani M, Baldassarre G. A Computational Model Integrating Multiple Phenomena on Cued Fear Conditioning, Extinction, and Reinstatement. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:569108. [PMID: 33132856 PMCID: PMC7550679 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.569108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement are fundamental learning processes of animal adaptation, also strongly involved in human pathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and dependencies. Cued fear conditioning, extinction, restatement, and systematic manipulations of the underlying brain amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, represent key experimental paradigms to study such processes. Numerous empirical studies have revealed several aspects and the neural systems and plasticity underlying them, but at the moment we lack a comprehensive view. Here we propose a computational model based on firing rate leaky units that contributes to such integration by accounting for 25 different experiments on fear conditioning, extinction, and restatement, on the basis of a single neural architecture having a structure and plasticity grounded in known brain biology. This allows the model to furnish three novel contributions to understand these open issues: (a) the functioning of the central and lateral amygdala system supporting conditioning; (b) the role played by the endocannabinoids system in within- and between-session extinction; (c) the formation of three important types of neurons underlying fear processing, namely fear, extinction, and persistent neurons. The model integration of the results on fear conditioning goes substantially beyond what was done in previous models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mattera
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Baldassarre
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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48
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Petrus E, Dembling S, Usdin T, Isaac JTR, Koretsky AP. Circuit-Specific Plasticity of Callosal Inputs Underlies Cortical Takeover. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7714-7723. [PMID: 32913109 PMCID: PMC7531555 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1056-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Injury induces synaptic, circuit, and systems reorganization. After unilateral amputation or stroke, this functional loss disrupts the interhemispheric interaction between intact and deprived somatomotor cortices to recruit deprived cortex in response to intact limb stimulation. This recruitment has been implicated in enhanced intact sensory function. In other patients, maladaptive consequences such as phantom limb pain can occur. We used unilateral whisker denervation in male and female mice to detect circuitry alterations underlying interhemispheric cortical reorganization. Enhanced synaptic strength from the intact cortex via the corpus callosum (CC) onto deep neurons in deprived primary somatosensory barrel cortex (S1BC) has previously been detected. It was hypothesized that specificity in this plasticity may depend on to which area these neurons projected. Increased connectivity to somatomotor areas such as contralateral S1BC, primary motor cortex (M1) and secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) may underlie beneficial adaptations, while increased connectivity to pain areas like anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) might underlie maladaptive pain phenotypes. Neurons from the deprived S1BC that project to intact S1BC were hyperexcitable, had stronger responses and reduced inhibitory input to CC stimulation. M1-projecting neurons also showed increases in excitability and CC input strength that was offset with enhanced inhibition. S2 and ACC-projecting neurons showed no changes in excitability or CC input. These results demonstrate that subgroups of output neurons undergo dramatic and specific plasticity after peripheral injury. The changes in S1BC-projecting neurons likely underlie enhanced reciprocal connectivity of S1BC after unilateral deprivation consistent with the model that interhemispheric takeover supports intact whisker processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Amputation, peripheral injury, and stroke patients experience widespread alterations in neural activity after sensory loss. A hallmark of this reorganization is the recruitment of deprived cortical space which likely aids processing and thus enhances performance on intact sensory systems. Conversely, this recruitment of deprived cortical space has been hypothesized to underlie phenotypes like phantom limb pain and hinder recovery. A mouse model of unilateral denervation detected remarkable specificity in alterations in the somatomotor circuit. These changes underlie increased reciprocal connectivity between intact and deprived cortical hemispheres. This increased connectivity may help explain the enhanced intact sensory processing detected in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Petrus
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Sarah Dembling
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Ted Usdin
- Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - John T R Isaac
- Janssen Neuroscience, J&J Innovations, London W1G 0BG, United Kingdom
| | - Alan P Koretsky
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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49
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Ozawa M, Davis P, Ni J, Maguire J, Papouin T, Reijmers L. Experience-dependent resonance in amygdalo-cortical circuits supports fear memory retrieval following extinction. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4358. [PMID: 32868768 PMCID: PMC7459312 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18199-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Learned fear and safety are associated with distinct oscillatory states in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To determine if and how these network states support the retrieval of competing memories, we mimicked endogenous oscillatory activity through optogenetic stimulation of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in mice during retrieval of contextual fear and extinction memories. We found that exogenously induced 4 Hz and 8 Hz oscillatory activity in the BLA exerts bi-directional control over conditioned freezing behavior in an experience- and context-specific manner, and that these oscillations have an experience-dependent ability to recruit distinct functional neuronal ensembles. At the network level we demonstrate, via simultaneous manipulation of BLA and mPFC, that experience-dependent 4 Hz resonance across BLA-mPFC circuitry supports post-extinction fear memory retrieval. Our findings reveal that post-extinction fear memory retrieval is supported by local and interregional experience-dependent resonance, and suggest novel approaches for interrogation and therapeutic manipulation of acquired fear circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minagi Ozawa
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrick Davis
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston Combined Residency Program (Child Neurology), Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jianguang Ni
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Papouin
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Leon Reijmers
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Functional Characterization of the Basal Amygdala-Dorsal BNST Pathway during Contextual Fear Conditioning. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0163-20.2020. [PMID: 32601096 PMCID: PMC7358333 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0163-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Both the basal amygdala (BA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) can participate in contextual fear, but it is unclear whether contextual fear engrams involve a direct interaction between these two brain regions. To determine whether dorsal BNST (dBNST)-projecting neurons in the BA participate in contextual fear engrams, we combined the TetTag mouse with a retrograde tracer to label dBNST-projecting cells in the BA. We identified a population of neurons located in the anterior subdivision of the BA (aBA) that was activated during fear conditioning and reactivated during retrieval but that did not project to the dBNST. In contrast, dBNST-projecting neurons located in the posterior BA (pBA) were activated during contextual fear conditioning but were not reactivated during retrieval. Similarly, we found neurons in the oval BNST subdivision (ovBNST) that were activated during contextual fear conditioning without being reactivated during retrieval. However, the anterodorsal BNST (adBNST) subdivision was not activated during either contextual fear conditioning or retrieval, underscoring the divergent functionality of these two dBNST subdivisions. Finally, we found that the ovBNST receives a monosynaptic projection from neurons located in the BA. Our results indicate that aBA neurons that do not project to the dBNST participate in contextual fear engrams. In contrast, dBNST-projecting neurons in the BA do not appear to participate in contextual fear engrams, but might instead contain a BA → ovBNST pathway that is active during the initial encoding of contextual fear memories.
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