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Kim Y, Hong I, Kaang BK. Synaptic correlates of the corticocortical circuit in motor learning. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230228. [PMID: 38853557 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0228] [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: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Rodents actively learn new motor skills for survival in reaction to changing environments. Despite the classic view of the primary motor cortex (M1) as a simple muscle relay region, it is now known to play a significant role in motor skill acquisition. The secondary motor cortex (M2) is reported to be a crucial region for motor learning as well as for its role in motor execution and planning. Although these two regions are known for the part they play in motor learning, the role of direct connection and synaptic correlates between these two regions remains elusive. Here, we confirm M2 to M1 connectivity with a series of tracing experiments. We also show that the accelerating rotarod task successfully induces motor skill acquisition in mice. For mice that underwent rotarod training, learner mice showed increased synaptic density and spine head size for synapses between activated cell populations of M2 and M1. Non-learner mice did not show these synaptic changes. Collectively, these data suggest the potential importance of synaptic plasticity between activated cell populations as a potential mechanism of motor learning. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Long-term potentiation: 50 years on'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeonjun Kim
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Daejeon 34126, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ilgang Hong
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Daejeon 34126, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Daejeon 34126, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, South Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, South Korea
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2
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Faress I, Khalil V, Hou WH, Moreno A, Andersen N, Fonseca R, Piriz J, Capogna M, Nabavi S. Non-Hebbian plasticity transforms transient experiences into lasting memories. eLife 2024; 12:RP91421. [PMID: 39023519 PMCID: PMC11257676 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91421] [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] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The dominant models of learning and memory, such as Hebbian plasticity, propose that experiences are transformed into memories through input-specific synaptic plasticity at the time of learning. However, synaptic plasticity is neither strictly input-specific nor restricted to the time of its induction. The impact of such forms of non-Hebbian plasticity on memory has been difficult to test, and hence poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that synaptic manipulations can deviate from the Hebbian model of learning, yet produce a lasting memory. First, we established a weak associative conditioning protocol in mice, where optogenetic stimulation of sensory thalamic input to the amygdala was paired with a footshock, but no detectable memory was formed. However, when the same input was potentiated minutes before or after, or even 24 hr later, the associative experience was converted into a lasting memory. Importantly, potentiating an independent input to the amygdala minutes but not 24 hr after the pairing produced a lasting memory. Thus, our findings suggest that the process of transformation of a transient experience into a memory is neither restricted to the time of the experience nor to the synapses triggered by it; instead, it can be influenced by past and future events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Wen-Hsien Hou
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Niels Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Rosalina Fonseca
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology, Universidade Nova de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Joaquin Piriz
- Instituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Marco Capogna
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAahrusDenmark
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3
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Caya-Bissonnette L, Béïque JC. Half a century legacy of long-term potentiation. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R640-R662. [PMID: 38981433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
In 1973, two papers from Bliss and Lømo and from Bliss and Gardner-Medwin reported that high-frequency synaptic stimulation in the dentate gyrus of rabbits resulted in a long-lasting increase in synaptic strength. This form of synaptic plasticity, commonly referred to as long-term potentiation (LTP), was immediately considered as an attractive mechanism accounting for the ability of the brain to store information. In this historical piece looking back over the past 50 years, we discuss how these two landmark contributions directly motivated a colossal research effort and detail some of the resulting milestones that have shaped our evolving understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of LTP. We highlight the main features of LTP, cover key experiments that defined its induction and expression mechanisms, and outline the evidence supporting a potential role of LTP in learning and memory. We also briefly explore some ramifications of LTP on network stability, consider current limitations of LTP as a model of associative memory, and entertain future research orientations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Caya-Bissonnette
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Ottawa, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Brain and Mind Research Institute's Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Jean-Claude Béïque
- Brain and Mind Research Institute's Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 ch. Smyth Road (3501N), Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
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4
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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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5
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Choi TY, Jeon H, Jeong S, Kim EJ, Kim J, Jeong YH, Kang B, Choi M, Koo JW. Distinct prefrontal projection activity and transcriptional state conversely orchestrate social competition and hierarchy. Neuron 2024; 112:611-627.e8. [PMID: 38086372 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.012] [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: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Social animals compete for limited resources, resulting in a social hierarchy. Although different neuronal subpopulations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which has been mechanistically implicated in social dominance behavior, encode distinct social competition behaviors, their identities and associated molecular underpinnings have not yet been identified. In this study, we found that mPFC neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens (mPFC-NAc) encode social winning behavior, whereas mPFC neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (mPFC-VTA) encode social losing behavior. High-throughput single-cell transcriptomic analysis and projection-specific genetic manipulation revealed that the expression level of POU domain, class 3, transcription factor 1 (Pou3f1) in mPFC-VTA neurons controls social hierarchy. Optogenetic activation of mPFC-VTA neurons increases Pou3f1 expression and lowers social rank. Together, these data demonstrate that discrete activity and gene expression in separate mPFC projections oppositely orchestrate social competition and hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Yong Choi
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoungseok Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Sejin Jeong
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Eum Ji Kim
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongseop Kim
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 41988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Ha Jeong
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungsoo Kang
- Sysoft R&D Center, Daegu 41065, Republic of Korea; Neurovascular Unit Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Murim Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 41988, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Palchaudhuri S, Osypenko D, Schneggenburger R. Fear Learning: An Evolving Picture for Plasticity at Synaptic Afferents to the Amygdala. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:87-104. [PMID: 35822657 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221108083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the neuronal mechanisms of fear learning might allow neuroscientists to make links between a learned behavior and the underlying plasticity at specific synaptic connections. In fear learning, an innocuous sensory event such as a tone (called the conditioned stimulus, CS) acquires an emotional value when paired with an aversive outcome (unconditioned stimulus, US). Here, we review earlier studies that have shown that synaptic plasticity at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala (LA) is critical for the formation of auditory-cued fear memories. Despite the early progress, it has remained unclear whether there are separate synaptic inputs that carry US information to the LA to act as a teaching signal for plasticity at CS-coding synapses. Recent findings have begun to fill this gap by showing, first, that thalamic and cortical auditory afferents can also carry US information; second, that the release of neuromodulators contributes to US-driven teaching signals; and third, that synaptic plasticity additionally happens at connections up- and downstream of the LA. Together, a picture emerges in which coordinated synaptic plasticity in serial and parallel circuits enables the formation of a finely regulated fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shriya Palchaudhuri
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denys Osypenko
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Schneggenburger
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Singh NK, Ramamourthy B, Hage N, Kappagantu KM. Optogenetics: Illuminating the Future of Hearing Restoration and Understanding Auditory Perception. Curr Gene Ther 2024; 24:208-216. [PMID: 38676313 DOI: 10.2174/0115665232269742231213110937] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Hearing loss is a prevalent sensory impairment significantly affecting communication and quality of life. Traditional approaches for hearing restoration, such as cochlear implants, have limitations in frequency resolution and spatial selectivity. Optogenetics, an emerging field utilizing light-sensitive proteins, offers a promising avenue for addressing these limitations and revolutionizing hearing rehabilitation. This review explores the methods of introducing Channelrhodopsin- 2 (ChR2), a key light-sensitive protein, into cochlear cells to enable optogenetic stimulation. Viral- mediated gene delivery is a widely employed technique in optogenetics. Selecting a suitable viral vector, such as adeno-associated viruses (AAV), is crucial in efficient gene delivery to cochlear cells. The ChR2 gene is inserted into the viral vector through molecular cloning techniques, and the resulting viral vector is introduced into cochlear cells via direct injection or round window membrane delivery. This allows for the expression of ChR2 and subsequent light sensitivity in targeted cells. Alternatively, direct cell transfection offers a non-viral approach for ChR2 delivery. The ChR2 gene is cloned into a plasmid vector, which is then combined with transfection agents like liposomes or nanoparticles. This mixture is applied to cochlear cells, facilitating the entry of the plasmid DNA into the target cells and enabling ChR2 expression. Optogenetic stimulation using ChR2 allows for precise and selective activation of specific neurons in response to light, potentially overcoming the limitations of current auditory prostheses. Moreover, optogenetics has broader implications in understanding the neural circuits involved in auditory processing and behavior. The combination of optogenetics and gene delivery techniques provides a promising avenue for improving hearing restoration strategies, offering the potential for enhanced frequency resolution, spatial selectivity, and improved auditory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namit Kant Singh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, All India institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, India
| | - Balaji Ramamourthy
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, All India institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, India
| | - Neemu Hage
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, All India institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, India
| | - Krishna Medha Kappagantu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, All India institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, India
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8
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Jung H, Han D, Lee C, Kaang BK. Synaptic Engram. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 38:131-145. [PMID: 39008014 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The concept of the engram refers to structural and/or physiological changes that underlie memory associations during learning. However, the precise biological basis of the engram remains elusive, with ongoing controversy regarding whether it resides at the cellular level or within the synaptic connections between activated cells. Here, we briefly review the studies investigating the cellular engram and the challenges they encounter. Subsequently, we delve into the biological basis of the engram within synaptic connections. In this regard, we introduce the history of synaptic engrams and discuss recent findings suggesting that synaptic plasticity serves as a substrate for memory. Additionally, we provide an overview of key technologies utilized in the study of synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunsu Jung
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Daehee Han
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chaery Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea.
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
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9
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Ortega-de San Luis C, Pezzoli M, Urrieta E, Ryan TJ. Engram cell connectivity as a mechanism for information encoding and memory function. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5368-5380.e5. [PMID: 37992719 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.074] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Information derived from experiences is incorporated into the brain as changes to ensembles of cells, termed engram cells, which allow memory storage and recall. The mechanism by which those changes hold specific information is unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that the specific synaptic wiring between engram cells is the substrate of information storage. First, we monitor how learning modifies the connectivity pattern between engram cells at a monosynaptic connection involving the hippocampal ventral CA1 (vCA1) region and the amygdala. Then, we assess the functional significance of these connectivity changes by artificially activating or inhibiting its presynaptic and postsynaptic components, respectively. Finally, we identify a synaptic plasticity mechanism mediated by postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), which impacts the connectivity pattern among engram cells and contributes to the long-term stability of the memory. These findings impact our theory of learning and memory by helping us explain the translation of specific information into engram cells and how these connections shape brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Ortega-de San Luis
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Maurizio Pezzoli
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland; Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Esteban Urrieta
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
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10
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Morishima M, Matsumura S, Tohyama S, Nagashima T, Konno A, Hirai H, Watabe AM. Excitatory subtypes of the lateral amygdala neurons are differentially involved in regulation of synaptic plasticity and excitation/inhibition balance in aversive learning in mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1292822. [PMID: 38162000 PMCID: PMC10755964 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1292822] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The amygdala plays a crucial role in aversive learning. In Pavlovian fear conditioning, sensory information about an emotionally neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) and an innately aversive unconditioned stimulus is associated with the lateral amygdala (LA), and the CS acquires the ability to elicit conditioned responses. Aversive learning induces synaptic plasticity in LA excitatory neurons from CS pathways, such as the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of the thalamus. Although LA excitatory cells have traditionally been classified based on their firing patterns, the relationship between the subtypes and functional properties remains largely unknown. In this study, we classified excitatory cells into two subtypes based on whether the after-depolarized potential (ADP) amplitude is expressed in non-ADP cells and ADP cells. Their electrophysiological properties were significantly different. We examined subtype-specific synaptic plasticity in the MGN-LA pathway following aversive learning using optogenetics and found significant experience-dependent plasticity in feed-forward inhibitory responses in fear-conditioned mice compared with control mice. Following aversive learning, the inhibition/excitation (I/E) balance in ADP cells drastically changed, whereas that in non-ADP cells tended to change in the reverse direction. These results suggest that the two LA subtypes are differentially regulated in relation to synaptic plasticity and I/E balance during aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieko Morishima
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Sohta Matsumura
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Suguru Tohyama
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagashima
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ayumu Konno
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Japan
| | - Ayako M. Watabe
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
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11
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Ansarifar S, Andreikė G, Nazari M, Labouriau R, Nabavi S, Moreno A. Impact of volume and expression time in an AAV-delivered channelrhodopsin. Mol Brain 2023; 16:77. [PMID: 37950268 PMCID: PMC10638758 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01067-1] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics has revolutionised neuroscience research, but at the same time has brought a plethora of new variables to consider when designing an experiment with AAV-based targeted gene delivery. Some concerns have been raised regarding the impact of AAV injection volume and expression time in relation to longitudinal experimental designs. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of optically evoked post-synaptic responses in connection to two variables: the volume of the injected virus and the expression time of the virus. For this purpose, we expressed the blue-shifted ChR2, oChIEF, employing a widely used AAV vector delivery strategy. We found that the volume of the injected virus has a minimal impact on the efficiency of optically-evoked postsynaptic population responses. The expression time, on the other hand, has a pronounced effect, with a gradual reduction in the population responses beyond 4 weeks of expression. We strongly advise to monitor time-dependent expression profiles when planning or conducting long-term experiments that depend on successful and stable channelrhodopsin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Ansarifar
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gabija Andreikė
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Milad Nazari
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rodrigo Labouriau
- Applied Statistics Laboratory, Department of Mathematics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Centre for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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12
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Rodríguez-Durán LF, López-Ibarra DL, Herrera-Xithe G, Bermúdez-Rattoni F, Osorio-Gómez D, Escobar ML. Synergistic photoactivation of VTA-catecholaminergic and BLA-glutamatergic projections induces long-term potentiation in the insular cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107845. [PMID: 37865264 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107845] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The presentation of novel stimuli induces a reliable dopamine release in the insular cortex (IC) from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The novel stimuli could be associated with motivational and emotional signals induced by cortical glutamate release from the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Dopamine and glutamate are essential for acquiring and maintaining behavioral tasks, including visual and taste recognition memories. In this study, we hypothesize that the simultaneous activation of dopaminergic and glutamatergic projections to the neocortex can underlie synaptic plasticity. High-frequency stimulation of the BLA-IC circuit has demonstrated a reliable long-term potentiation (LTP), a widely acknowledged synaptic plasticity that underlies memory consolidation. Therefore, the concurrent optogenetic stimulation of the insula's glutamatergic and dopaminergic terminal fibers would induce reliable LTP. Our results confirmed that combined photostimulation of the VTA and BLA projections to the IC induces a slow-onset LTP. We also found that optogenetically-induced LTP in the IC relies on both glutamatergic NMDA receptors and dopaminergic D1/D5 receptors, suggesting that the combined effects of these neurotransmitters can trigger synaptic plasticity in the neocortex. Overall, our findings provide compelling evidence supporting the essential role of both dopaminergic and glutamatergic projections in modulating synaptic plasticity within the IC. Furthermore, our results suggest that the synergistic actions of these projections have a pivotal influence on the formation of motivational memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Rodríguez-Durán
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Diana L López-Ibarra
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Herrera-Xithe
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Osorio-Gómez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Martha L Escobar
- Facultad de Psicología, UNAM, División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico.
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13
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Pronier É, Morici JF, Girardeau G. The role of the hippocampus in the consolidation of emotional memories during sleep. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:912-925. [PMID: 37714808 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Episodic memory relies on the hippocampus, a heterogeneous brain region with distinct functions. Spatial representations in the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) are crucial for contextual memory, while the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) is more involved in emotional processing. Here, we review the literature in rodents highlighting the anatomical and functional properties of the hippocampus along its dorsoventral axis that underlie its role in contextual and emotional memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. We propose that the coordination between the dorsal and vHPC through theta oscillations during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and through sharp-wave ripples during non-REM (NREM) sleep, might facilitate the transfer of contextual information for integration with valence-related processing in other structures of the network. Further investigation into the physiology of the vHPC and its connections with other brain areas is needed to deepen the current understanding of emotional memory consolidation during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éléonore Pronier
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Inserm U1270, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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14
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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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15
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Luis CODS, Pezzoli M, Urrieta E, Ryan TJ. Engram cell connectivity as a mechanism for information encoding and memory function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.21.558774. [PMID: 37790352 PMCID: PMC10542553 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.21.558774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Information derived from experiences is incorporated into the brain as changes to ensembles of cells, termed engram cells, that allow memory storage and recall. The mechanism by which those changes hold specific information is unclear. Here we test the hypothesis that the specific synaptic wiring between engram cells is the substrate of information storage. First, we monitor how learning modifies the connectivity pattern between engram cells at a monosynaptic connection involving the hippocampal vCA1 region and the amygdala. Then, we assess the functional significance of these connectivity changes by artificially activating or inhibiting its presynaptic and postsynaptic components respectively. Finally, we identify a synaptic plasticity mechanism mediated by PSD-95, which impacts the connectivity pattern among engram cells and contributes to the long-term stability of the memory. These findings impact our theory of learning and memory by helping us explain the translation of specific information into engram cells and how these connections shape brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Ortega-de San Luis
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Maurizio Pezzoli
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Esteban Urrieta
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of 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
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16
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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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17
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Guskjolen A, Cembrowski MS. Engram neurons: Encoding, consolidation, retrieval, and forgetting of memory. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3207-3219. [PMID: 37369721 PMCID: PMC10618102 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02137-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Tremendous strides have been made in our understanding of the neurobiological substrates of memory - the so-called memory "engram". Here, we integrate recent progress in the engram field to illustrate how engram neurons transform across the "lifespan" of a memory - from initial memory encoding, to consolidation and retrieval, and ultimately to forgetting. To do so, we first describe how cell-intrinsic properties shape the initial emergence of the engram at memory encoding. Second, we highlight how these encoding neurons preferentially participate in synaptic- and systems-level consolidation of memory. Third, we describe how these changes during encoding and consolidation guide neural reactivation during retrieval, and facilitate memory recall. Fourth, we describe neurobiological mechanisms of forgetting, and how these mechanisms can counteract engram properties established during memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Motivated by recent experimental results across these four sections, we conclude by proposing some conceptual extensions to the traditional view of the engram, including broadening the view of cell-type participation within engrams and across memory stages. In collection, our review synthesizes general principles of the engram across memory stages, and describes future avenues to further understand the dynamic engram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Guskjolen
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Mark S Cembrowski
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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18
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Ko B, Yoo JY, Yoo T, Choi W, Dogan R, Sung K, Um D, Lee SB, Kim HJ, Lee S, Beak ST, Park SK, Paik SB, Kim TK, Kim JH. Npas4-mediated dopaminergic regulation of safety memory consolidation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112678. [PMID: 37379214 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112678] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amygdala circuitry encodes associations between conditioned stimuli and aversive unconditioned stimuli and also controls fear expression. However, whether and how non-threatening information for unpaired conditioned stimuli (CS-) is discretely processed remains unknown. The fear expression toward CS- is robust immediately after fear conditioning but then becomes negligible after memory consolidation. The synaptic plasticity of the neural pathway from the lateral to the anterior basal amygdala gates the fear expression of CS-, depending upon neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4)-mediated dopamine receptor D4 (Drd4) synthesis, which is precluded by stress exposure or corticosterone injection. Herein, we show cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the non-threatening (safety) memory consolidation, supporting the fear discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- BumJin Ko
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Yeon Yoo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Taesik Yoo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Woochul Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Rumeysa Dogan
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Kibong Sung
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Dahun Um
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Been Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jin Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangjun Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Tae Beak
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Ki Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Bum Paik
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Kyung Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Joung-Hun Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
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19
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Simonnet C, Sinha M, Goutierre M, Moutkine I, Daumas S, Poncer JC. Silencing KCC2 in mouse dorsal hippocampus compromises spatial and contextual memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1067-1077. [PMID: 36302847 PMCID: PMC10209115 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01480-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Delayed upregulation of the neuronal chloride extruder KCC2 underlies the progressive shift in GABA signaling polarity during development. Conversely, KCC2 downregulation is observed in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders often associated with cognitive impairment. Reduced KCC2 expression and function in mature networks may disrupt GABA signaling and promote anomalous network activities underlying these disorders. However, the causal link between KCC2 downregulation, altered brain rhythmogenesis, and cognitive function remains elusive. Here, by combining behavioral exploration with in vivo electrophysiology we assessed the impact of chronic KCC2 downregulation in mouse dorsal hippocampus and showed it compromises both spatial and contextual memory. This was associated with altered hippocampal rhythmogenesis and neuronal hyperexcitability, with increased burst firing in CA1 neurons during non-REM sleep. Reducing neuronal excitability with terbinafine, a specific Task-3 leak potassium channel opener, occluded the impairment of contextual memory upon KCC2 knockdown. Our results establish a causal relationship between KCC2 expression and cognitive performance and suggest that non-epileptiform rhythmopathies and neuronal hyperexcitability are central to the deficits caused by KCC2 downregulation in the adult mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Simonnet
- Inserm UMR-S 1270, 75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005, Paris, France
- Basic Neuroscience Department, Centre Medical Universitaire, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Manisha Sinha
- Inserm UMR-S 1270, 75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Marie Goutierre
- Inserm UMR-S 1270, 75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Imane Moutkine
- Inserm UMR-S 1270, 75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Daumas
- Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
- Neuroscience Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean Christophe Poncer
- Inserm UMR-S 1270, 75005, Paris, France.
- Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France.
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005, Paris, France.
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20
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Yi T, Wang N, Huang J, Wang Y, Ren S, Hu Y, Xia J, Liao Y, Li X, Luo F, Ouyang Q, Li Y, Zheng Z, Xiao Q, Ren R, Yao Z, Tang X, Wang Y, Chen X, He C, Li H, Hu Z. A Sleep-Specific Midbrain Target for Sevoflurane Anesthesia. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300189. [PMID: 36961096 PMCID: PMC10214273 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Sevoflurane has been the most widely used inhaled anesthetics with a favorable recovery profile; however, the precise mechanisms underlying its anesthetic action are still not completely understood. Here the authors show that sevoflurane activates a cluster of urocortin 1 (UCN1+ )/cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART+ ) neurons in the midbrain involved in its anesthesia. Furthermore, growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) is highly enriched in sevoflurane-activated UCN1+ /CART+ cells and is necessary for sleep induction. Blockade of GHSR abolishes the excitatory effect of sevoflurane on UCN1+ /CART+ neurons and attenuates its anesthetic effect. Collectively, their data suggest that anesthetic action of sevoflurane necessitates the GHSR activation in midbrain UCN1+ /CART+ neurons, which provides a novel target including the nucleus and receptor in the field of anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yi
- Department of AnesthesiologySecond Affiliated HospitalThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
- Department of AnesthesiologyYongchuan HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing402160China
| | - Na Wang
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
- College of BioengineeringChongqing UniversityChongqing400044China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of AnesthesiologySecond Affiliated HospitalThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Yaling Wang
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Shuancheng Ren
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Yiwen Hu
- Department of AnesthesiologySecond Affiliated HospitalThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Jianxia Xia
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Yixiang Liao
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Fenlan Luo
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Qin Ouyang
- School of PharmacyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Yu Li
- Department of AnesthesiologySecond Affiliated HospitalThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Ziyi Zheng
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Qin Xiao
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Rong Ren
- Sleep Medicine CenterDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineMental Health CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Zhongxiang Yao
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Xiangdong Tang
- Sleep Medicine CenterDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineMental Health CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Yanjiang Wang
- Department of NeurologyDaping HospitalThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400042China
| | - Xiaowei Chen
- Brain Research CenterCollaborative Innovation Center for Brain ScienceThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Chao He
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
| | - Hong Li
- Department of AnesthesiologySecond Affiliated HospitalThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400037China
| | - Zhian Hu
- Department of PhysiologyThird Military Medical UniversityChongqing400038China
- College of BioengineeringChongqing UniversityChongqing400044China
- Chongqing Institute for Brain and IntelligenceGuangyang Bay LaboratoryChongqing400064China
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21
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Yan Y, Song D, Jin Y, Deng Y, Wang C, Huang T, Tang Y, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Dong Z, Wang Y, Zhao J, Ni J, Li H, Zhang J, Lang Y, Wu Y, Qing H, Quan Z. ACx-projecting cholinergic neurons in the NB influence the BLA ensembles to modulate the discrimination of auditory fear memory. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:79. [PMID: 36878900 PMCID: PMC9988865 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02384-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals need discriminating auditory fear memory (DAFM) to survive, but the related neural circuits of DAFM remain largely unknown. Our study shows that DAFM depends on acetylcholine (ACh) signal in the auditory cortex (ACx), which is projected from the nucleus basalis (NB). At the encoding stage, optogenetic inhibition of cholinergic projections of NB-ACx obfuscates distinct tone-responsive neurons of ACx recognizing from fear-paired tone to fear-unpaired tone signals, while simultaneously regulating the neuronal activity and reactivation of basal lateral amygdala (BLA) engram cells at the retrieval stage. This NBACh-ACx-BLA neural circuit for the modulation of DAFM is especially dependent on the nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR). A nAChR antagonist reduces DAFM and diminishes the increased magnitude of ACx tone-responsive neuronal activity during the encoding stage. Our data suggest a critical role of NBACh-ACx-BLA neural circuit in DAFM: manipulation of the NB cholinergic projection to the ACx via nAChR during the encoding stage affects the activation of ACx tone-responsive neuron clusters and the BLA engram cells during the retrieval stage, thus modulating the DAFM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yue Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yujun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Chunjian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yuanhong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis, Treatment & Behavioral Interventions of Mental Disorders, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272013, China
| | - Yun Zhang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University; The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University; The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zhifang Dong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Medical Research in Cognitive Development and Learning and Memory Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Yuetian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Juan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yiran Lang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yili Wu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis, Treatment & Behavioral Interventions of Mental Disorders, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272013, China. .,Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, School of Mental Health, Institute of Aging, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China.
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
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22
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Ferrara NC, Kwapis JL, Trask S. Memory retrieval, reconsolidation, and extinction: Exploring the boundary conditions of post-conditioning cue exposure. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1146665. [PMID: 36937567 PMCID: PMC10017482 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1146665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Following fear conditioning, behavior can be reduced by giving many CS-alone presentations in a process known as extinction or by presenting a few CS-alone presentations and interfering with subsequent memory reconsolidation. While the two share procedural similarities, both the behavioral outcomes and the neurobiological underpinnings are distinct. Here we review the neural and behavioral mechanisms that produce these separate behavioral reductions, as well as some factors that determine whether or not a retrieval-dependent reconsolidation process or an extinction process will be in effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Janine L. Kwapis
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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23
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Hua SS, Ding JJ, Sun TC, Guo C, Zhang Y, Yu ZH, Cao YQ, Zhong LH, Wu Y, Guo LY, Luo JH, Cui YH, Qiu S. NMDAR-dependent synaptic potentiation via APPL1 signaling is required for the accessibility of a prefrontal neuronal assembly in retrieving fear extinction. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)00087-2. [PMID: 36842495 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been viewed as a locus to store and recall extinction memory. However, the synaptic and cellular mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. METHODS We combined transgenic mice, electrophysiological recording, activity-dependent cell labeling, and chemogenetic manipulation to analyze the role of adaptor protein APPL1 in the vmPFC for fear extinction retrieval. RESULTS We found that both constitutive and conditional APPL1 knockout decreases NMDA receptor (NMDAR) function in the vmPFC and impairs fear extinction retrieval. Moreover, APPL1 undergoes nuclear translocation during extinction retrieval. Blocking APPL1 nucleocytoplasmic translocation reduces NMDAR currents and disrupts extinction retrieval. We further identified a prefrontal neuronal ensemble that is both necessary and sufficient for the storage of extinction memory. Inducible APPL1 knockout in this ensemble abolishes NMDAR-dependent synaptic potentiation and disrupts extinction retrieval, while simultaneously chemogenetic activation of this ensemble rescues the impaired behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, our results indicate that a prefrontal neuronal ensemble stores extinction memory, and APPL1 signaling supports these neurons to retrieve extinction memory via controlling NMDAR-dependent potentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Shan Hua
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jin-Jun Ding
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tian-Cheng Sun
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Chen Guo
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zi-Hui Yu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yi-Qing Cao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Lin-Hong Zhong
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yu Wu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Lu-Ying Guo
- Kidney Disease Center of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jian-Hong Luo
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology,ZhejiangUniversity ,Hangzhou ,310058 ,China
| | - Yi-Hui Cui
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Shuang Qiu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology,ZhejiangUniversity ,Hangzhou ,310058 ,China.
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24
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Bauer EP. Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 PMCID: PMC11267399 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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25
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Cummings KA, Bayshtok S, Dong TN, Kenny PJ, Clem RL. Control of fear by discrete prefrontal GABAergic populations encoding valence-specific information. Neuron 2022; 110:3036-3052.e5. [PMID: 35944526 PMCID: PMC10009874 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neurons activated by learning have been ascribed the unique potential to encode memory, but the functional contribution of discrete cell types remains poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear whether learning engages specific GABAergic interneurons and, if so, whether they differ functionally from interneurons recruited by other experiences. Here, we show that fear conditioning activates a heterogeneous neuronal population in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that is largely comprised of somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs). Using intersectional genetic approaches, we demonstrate that fear-learning-activated SST-INs exhibit distinct circuit properties and are selectively reactivated to mediate cue-evoked memory expression. In contrast, an orthogonal population of SST-INs activated by morphine experience exerts opposing control over fear and supports reward-like motivational effects. These results outline an important role for discrete subsets of GABAergic cells in emotional learning and point to an unappreciated capacity for functional specialization among SST-INs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie A Cummings
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Sabina Bayshtok
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tri N Dong
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Drug Discovery Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roger L Clem
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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26
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Interrogating structural plasticity among synaptic engrams. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 75:102552. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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27
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Totty MS, Maren S. Neural Oscillations in Aversively Motivated Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:936036. [PMID: 35846784 PMCID: PMC9284508 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.936036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear and anxiety-based disorders are highly debilitating and among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. These disorders are associated with abnormal network oscillations in the brain, yet a comprehensive understanding of the role of network oscillations in the regulation of aversively motivated behavior is lacking. In this review, we examine the oscillatory correlates of fear and anxiety with a particular focus on rhythms in the theta and gamma-range. First, we describe neural oscillations and their link to neural function by detailing the role of well-studied theta and gamma rhythms to spatial and memory functions of the hippocampus. We then describe how theta and gamma oscillations act to synchronize brain structures to guide adaptive fear and anxiety-like behavior. In short, that hippocampal network oscillations act to integrate spatial information with motivationally salient information from the amygdala during states of anxiety before routing this information via theta oscillations to appropriate target regions, such as the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, theta and gamma oscillations develop in the amygdala and neocortical areas during the encoding of fear memories, and interregional synchronization reflects the retrieval of both recent and remotely encoded fear memories. Finally, we argue that the thalamic nucleus reuniens represents a key node synchronizing prefrontal-hippocampal theta dynamics for the retrieval of episodic extinction memories in the hippocampus.
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28
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du Plessis KC, Basu S, Rumbell TH, Lucas EK. Sex-Specific Neural Networks of Cued Threat Conditioning: A Pilot Study. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:832484. [PMID: 35656357 PMCID: PMC9152023 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.832484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cued threat conditioning is the most common preclinical model for emotional memory, which is dysregulated in anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Though women are twice as likely as men to develop these disorders, current knowledge of threat conditioning networks was established by studies that excluded female subjects. For unbiased investigation of sex differences in these networks, we quantified the neural activity marker c-fos across 112 brain regions in adult male and female mice after cued threat conditioning compared to naïve controls. We found that trained females engaged prelimbic cortex, lateral amygdala, cortical amygdala, dorsal peduncular cortex, and subparafasicular nucleus more than, and subparaventricular zone less than, trained males. To explore how these sex differences in regional activity impact the global network, we generated interregional cross-correlations of c-fos expression to identify regions that were co-active during conditioning and performed hub analyses to identify regional control centers within each neural network. These exploratory graph theory-derived analyses revealed sex differences in the functional coordination of the threat conditioning network as well as distinct hub regions between trained males and females. Hub identification across multiple networks constructed by sequentially pruning the least reliable connections revealed globus pallidus and ventral lateral septum as the most robust hubs for trained males and females, respectively. While low sample size and lack of non-associative controls are major limitations, these findings provide preliminary evidence of sex differences in the individual circuit components and broader global networks of threat conditioning that may confer female vulnerability to fear-based psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamryn C. du Plessis
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Sreetama Basu
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Timothy H. Rumbell
- IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth K. Lucas
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth K. Lucas,
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29
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Ferreira-Fernandes E, Peça J. The Neural Circuit Architecture of Social Hierarchy in Rodents and Primates. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:874310. [PMID: 35634473 PMCID: PMC9133341 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.874310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social status is recognized as a major determinant of social behavior and health among animals; however, the neural circuits supporting the formation and navigation of social hierarchies remain under extensive research. Available evidence suggests the prefrontal cortex is a keystone in this circuit, but upstream and downstream candidates are progressively emerging. In this review, we compare and integrate findings from rodent and primate studies to create a model of the neural and cellular networks supporting social hierarchies, both from a macro (i.e., circuits) to a micro-scale perspective (microcircuits and synapses). We start by summarizing the literature on the prefrontal cortex and other relevant brain regions to expand the current “prefrontal-centric” view of social hierarchy behaviors. Based on connectivity data we also discuss candidate regions that might inspire further investigation, as well as the caveats and strategies that have been used to further our understanding of the biological substrates underpinning social hierarchy and dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Ferreira-Fernandes
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Peça
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- *Correspondence: João Peça
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30
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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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31
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N-acetylcysteine facilitates extinction of cued fear memory in rats via reestablishing basolateral amygdala glutathione homeostasis. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:260-272. [PMID: 33927360 PMCID: PMC8791957 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00661-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in the development of uncontrollable fear in response to traumatic stressors have been observed in clinic, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study we first conducted a meta-analysis of published clinical data and found that malondialdehyde, an oxidative stress biomarker, was significantly elevated in the blood of patients with fear-related anxiety disorders. We then carried out experimental study in rats subjected to fear conditioning. We showed that reestablishing redox homeostasis in basolateral amygdale (BLA) after exposure to fear stressors determined the capacity of learned fear inhibition. Intra-BLA infusion of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) to deplete the most important endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) blocked fear extinction, whereas intra-BLA infusion of dithiothreitol or N-acetylcysteine (a precursor of GSH) facilitated extinction. In electrophysiological studies conducted on transverse slices, we showed that fear stressors induced redox-dependent inhibition of NMDAR-mediated synaptic function, which was rescued by extinction learning or reducing agents. Our results reveal a novel pharmacological strategy for reversing impaired fear inhibition and highlight the role of GSH in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
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32
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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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33
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Dempsey WP, Du Z, Nadtochiy A, Smith CD, Czajkowski K, Andreev A, Robson DN, Li JM, Applebaum S, Truong TV, Kesselman C, Fraser SE, Arnold DB. Regional synapse gain and loss accompany memory formation in larval zebrafish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2107661119. [PMID: 35031564 PMCID: PMC8784156 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107661119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the structural and functional changes in the nervous system underlying learning and memory represents a major challenge for modern neuroscience. Although changes in neuronal activity following memory formation have been studied [B. F. Grewe et al., Nature 543, 670-675 (2017); M. T. Rogan, U. V. Stäubli, J. E. LeDoux, Nature 390, 604-607 (1997)], the underlying structural changes at the synapse level remain poorly understood. Here, we capture synaptic changes in the midlarval zebrafish brain that occur during associative memory formation by imaging excitatory synapses labeled with recombinant probes using selective plane illumination microscopy. Imaging the same subjects before and after classical conditioning at single-synapse resolution provides an unbiased mapping of synaptic changes accompanying memory formation. In control animals and animals that failed to learn the task, there were no significant changes in the spatial patterns of synapses in the pallium, which contains the equivalent of the mammalian amygdala and is essential for associative learning in teleost fish [M. Portavella, J. P. Vargas, B. Torres, C. Salas, Brain Res. Bull 57, 397-399 (2002)]. In zebrafish that formed memories, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of synapses in the ventrolateral pallium, which contains neurons active during memory formation and retrieval. Concurrently, synapse loss predominated in the dorsomedial pallium. Surprisingly, we did not observe significant changes in the intensity of synaptic labeling, a proxy for synaptic strength, with memory formation in any region of the pallium. Our results suggest that memory formation due to classical conditioning is associated with reciprocal changes in synapse numbers in the pallium.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P Dempsey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Zhuowei Du
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Anna Nadtochiy
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Colton D Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Karl Czajkowski
- Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90292
| | - Andrey Andreev
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Drew N Robson
- Systems Neuroscience & Neuroengineering, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jennifer M Li
- Systems Neuroscience & Neuroengineering, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Serina Applebaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Thai V Truong
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Carl Kesselman
- Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90292
- Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Scott E Fraser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Don B Arnold
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089;
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34
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Yan Y, Aierken A, Wang C, Song D, Ni J, Wang Z, Quan Z, Qing H. A potential biomarker of preclinical Alzheimer's disease: The olfactory dysfunction and its pathogenesis-based neural circuitry impairments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:857-869. [PMID: 34810025 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory dysfunction can signal and act as a potential biomarker of preclinical AD. However, the precise regulatory mechanism of olfactory function on the neural pathogenesis of AD is still unclear. The impairment of neural networks in olfaction system has been shown to be tightly associated with AD. As key brain regions of the olfactory system, the olfactory bulb (OB) and the piriform cortex (PCx) have a profound influence on the olfactory function. Therefore, this review will explore the mechanism of olfactory dysfunction in preclinical AD in the perspective of abnormal neural networks in the OB and PCx and their associated brain regions, especially from two aspects of aberrant oscillations and synaptic plasticity damages, which help better understand the underlying mechanism of olfactory neural network damages related to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ailikemu Aierken
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Chunjian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
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35
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Feng H, Su J, Fang W, Chen X, He J. The entorhinal cortex modulates trace fear memory formation and neuroplasticity in the mouse lateral amygdala via cholecystokinin. eLife 2021; 10:69333. [PMID: 34779397 PMCID: PMC8629425 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although fear memory formation is essential for survival and fear-related mental disorders, the neural circuitry and mechanism are incompletely understood. Here, we utilized trace fear conditioning to study the formation of trace fear memory in mice. We identified the entorhinal cortex (EC) as a critical component of sensory signaling to the amygdala. We adopted both loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments to demonstrate that release of the cholecystokinin (CCK) from the EC is required for trace fear memory formation. We discovered that CCK-positive neurons project from the EC to the lateral nuclei of the amygdala (LA), and inhibition of CCK-dependent signaling in the EC prevented long-term potentiation of the auditory response in the LA and formation of trace fear memory. In summary, high-frequency activation of EC neurons triggers the release of CCK in their projection terminals in the LA, potentiating auditory response in LA neurons. The neural plasticity in the LA leads to trace fear memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemin Feng
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Junfeng Su
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jufang He
- Departments of Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China
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36
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Ferrara NC, Trask S, Pullins SE, Helmstetter FJ. Regulation of learned fear expression through the MgN-amygdala pathway. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 185:107526. [PMID: 34562619 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Heightened fear responding is characteristic of fear- and anxiety-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Neural plasticity in the amygdala is essential for both initial fear learning and fear expression, and strengthening of synaptic connections between the medial geniculate nucleus (MgN) and amygdala is critical for auditory fear learning. However, very little is known about what happens in the MgN-amygdala pathway during fear recall and extinction, in which conditional fear decreases with repeated presentations of the auditory stimulus alone. In the present study, we found that optogenetic inhibition of activity in the MgN-amygdala pathway during fear retrieval and extinction reduced expression of conditional fear. While this effect persisted for at least two weeks following pathway inhibition, it was specific to the context in which optogenetic inhibition occurred, linking MgN-BLA inhibition to facilitation of extinction-like processes. Reduced fear expression through inhibition of the MgN-amygdala pathway was further characterized by similar synaptic expression of GluA1 and GluA2 AMPA receptor subunits compared to what was seen in controls. Inhibition also decreased CREB phosphorylation in the amygdala, similar to what has been reported following auditory fear extinction. We then demonstrated that this effect was reduced by inhibition of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors. These results demonstrate a new and important role for the MgN-amygdala pathway in extinction-like processes, and show that suppressing activity in this pathway results in a persistent decrease in fear behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Ferrara
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Shane E Pullins
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Fred J Helmstetter
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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37
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Shallcross J, Wu L, Wilkinson CS, Knackstedt LA, Schwendt M. Increased mGlu5 mRNA expression in BLA glutamate neurons facilitates resilience to the long-term effects of a single predator scent stress exposure. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:2279-2293. [PMID: 34175993 PMCID: PMC10416208 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02326-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in a subset of individuals exposed to a trauma with core features being increased anxiety and impaired fear extinction. To model the heterogeneity of PTSD behavioral responses, we exposed male Sprague-Dawley rats to predator scent stress once for 10 min and then assessed anxiety-like behavior 7 days later using the elevated plus maze and acoustic startle response. Rats displaying anxiety-like behavior in both tasks were classified as stress Susceptible, and rats exhibiting behavior no different from un-exposed Controls were classified as stress Resilient. In Resilient rats, we previously found increased mRNA expression of mGlu5 in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) and CB1 in the amygdala. Here, we performed fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to determine the subregion and cell-type-specific expression of these genes in Resilient rats 3 weeks after TMT exposure. Resilient rats displayed increased mGlu5 mRNA expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the infralimbic and prelimbic regions of the PFC and increased BLA CB1 mRNA. These increases were limited to glutamatergic cells. To test the necessity of mGlu5 for attenuating TMT-conditioned contextual fear 3 weeks after TMT conditioning, intra-BLA infusions of the mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator MTEP were administered prior to context re-exposure. In TMT-exposed Resilient rats, but not Controls, MTEP increased freezing on the day of administration, which extinguished over two additional un-drugged sessions. These results suggest that increased mGlu5 expression in BLA glutamate neurons contributes to the behavioral flexibility observed in stress-Resilient animals by facilitating a capacity for extinguishing contextual fear associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Shallcross
- Psychology Department, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, University of Florida, 114 Psychology Building, 945 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2250, USA
| | - Lizhen Wu
- Psychology Department, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, University of Florida, 114 Psychology Building, 945 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2250, USA
| | - Courtney S Wilkinson
- Psychology Department, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, University of Florida, 114 Psychology Building, 945 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2250, USA
- Center for Addiction Research and Education (CARE), University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, University of Florida, 114 Psychology Building, 945 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2250, USA
- Center for Addiction Research and Education (CARE), University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Marek Schwendt
- Psychology Department, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, University of Florida, 114 Psychology Building, 945 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-2250, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research and Education (CARE), University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
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38
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Cummings KA, Lacagnina AF, Clem RL. GABAergic microcircuitry of fear memory encoding. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 184:107504. [PMID: 34425220 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The paradigm of fear conditioning is largely responsible for our current understanding of how memories are encoded at the cellular level. Its most fundamental underlying mechanism is considered to be plasticity of synaptic connections between excitatory projection neurons (PNs). However, recent studies suggest that while PNs execute critical memory functions, their activity at key stages of learning and recall is extensively orchestrated by a diverse array of GABAergic interneurons (INs). Here we review the contributions of genetically-defined INs to processing of threat-related stimuli in fear conditioning, with a particular focus on how synaptic interactions within interconnected networks of INs modulates PN activity through both inhibition and disinhibition. Furthermore, we discuss accumulating evidence that GABAergic microcircuits are an important locus for synaptic plasticity during fear learning and therefore a viable substrate for long-term memory. These findings suggest that further investigation of INs could unlock unique conceptual insights into the organization and function of fear memory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstie A Cummings
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Anthony F Lacagnina
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Roger L Clem
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
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39
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Choi DI, Kim J, Lee H, Kim JI, Sung Y, Choi JE, Venkat SJ, Park P, Jung H, Kaang BK. Synaptic correlates of associative fear memory in the lateral amygdala. Neuron 2021; 109:2717-2726.e3. [PMID: 34363751 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Successful adaptation to the environment requires an accurate response to external threats by recalling specific memories. Memory formation and recall require engram cell activity and synaptic strengthening among activated neuronal ensembles. However, elucidation of the underlying neural substrates of associative fear memory has remained limited without a direct interrogation of extinction-induced changes of specific synapses that encode a specific auditory fear memory. Using dual-eGRASP (enhanced green fluorescent protein reconstitution across synaptic partners), we found that synapses among activated neuronal ensembles or activated synaptic ensembles showed a significantly larger spine morphology at auditory cortex (AC)-to-lateral amygdala (LA) projections after auditory fear conditioning in mice. Fear extinction reversed these enhanced synaptic ensemble spines, whereas re-conditioning with the same tone and shock restored the spine size of the synaptic ensemble. We suggest that synaptic ensembles encode and represent different fear memory states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Il Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jooyoung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hoonwon Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ji-Il Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Yongmin Sung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ja Eun Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - S Jayakumar Venkat
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Pojeong Park
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hyunsu Jung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanangno, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea.
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40
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SRC3 acetylates calmodulin in the mouse brain to regulate synaptic plasticity and fear learning. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101044. [PMID: 34358562 PMCID: PMC8390517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101044] [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: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein acetylation is a reversible posttranslational modification, which is regulated by lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) and lysine deacetyltransferase (KDAC). Although protein acetylation has been shown to regulate synaptic plasticity, this was mainly for histone protein acetylation. The function and regulation of nonhistone protein acetylation in synaptic plasticity and learning remain largely unknown. Calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor, plays critical roles in synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation (LTP). During LTP induction, activation of NMDA receptor triggers Ca2+ influx, and the Ca2+ binds with CaM and activates calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα). In our previous study, we demonstrated that acetylation of CaM was important for synaptic plasticity and fear learning in mice. However, the KAT responsible for CaM acetylation is currently unknown. Here, following an HEK293 cell-based screen of candidate KATs, steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC3) is identified as the most active KAT for CaM. We further demonstrate that SRC3 interacts with and acetylates CaM in a Ca2+ and NMDA receptor-dependent manner. We also show that pharmacological inhibition or genetic downregulation of SRC3 impairs CaM acetylation, synaptic plasticity, and contextual fear learning in mice. Moreover, the effects of SRC3 inhibition on synaptic plasticity and fear learning could be rescued by 3KQ-CaM, a mutant form of CaM, which mimics acetylation. Together, these observations demonstrate that SRC3 acetylates CaM and regulates synaptic plasticity and learning in mice.
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41
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Morikawa S, Katori K, Takeuchi H, Ikegaya Y. Brain-wide mapping of presynaptic inputs to basolateral amygdala neurons. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3062-3075. [PMID: 33797073 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a region critical for emotional processing, is the limbic hub that is connected with various brain regions. BLA neurons are classified into different subtypes that exhibit differential projection patterns and mediate distinct emotional behaviors; however, little is known about their presynaptic input patterns. In this study, we employed projection-specific monosynaptic rabies virus tracing to identify the direct monosynaptic inputs to BLA subtypes. We found that each neuronal subtype receives long-range projection input from specific brain regions. In contrast to their specific axonal projection patterns, all BLA neuronal subtypes exhibited relatively similar input patterns. This anatomical organization supports the idea that the BLA is a central integrator that associates sensory information in different modalities with valence and sends associative information to behaviorally relevant brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Morikawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuki Katori
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruki Takeuchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Social Cooperation Program of Evolutional Chemical Safety Assessment System, LECSAS, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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42
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Zhang HL, Zhao B, Han W, Sun YB, Yang P, Chen Y, Ni D, Zhang J, Yin DM. Acetylation of calmodulin regulates synaptic plasticity and fear learning. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101034. [PMID: 34339735 PMCID: PMC8383114 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity is critical for brain function, including learning and memory. It is regulated by gene transcription and protein synthesis as well as posttranslational modifications at synapses. Although protein acetylation has been shown to be involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, this was mainly for histone protein acetylation. To investigate whether acetylation of nonhistone proteins is important for synaptic plasticity, we analyzed mouse brain acetylome and found that calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor, was acetylated on three lysine residues, which were conserved across species. NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) is considered the most compelling form of synaptic plasticity. During LTP induction, activation of NMDA receptor triggers Ca2+ influx, and the Ca2+ binds with CaM and activates calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα), which is essential for LTP induction. By using home-generated and site-specific antibodies against acetylated CaM, we show that CaM acetylation is upregulated by neural activities in an NMDA receptor-dependent manner. Moreover, mutation of acetyllysines in CaM1 proteins disrupts synaptic plasticity and fear learning in a mouse model. We further demonstrate that acetylation of CaM reduces the binding free energy and increases the binding affinity toward CaMKIIα, a protein kinase pivotal to synaptic plasticity and learning. Taken together, our results demonstrate importance of CaM acetylation in regulating synaptic plasticity and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Long Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Bing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Han
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Bei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongjun Chen
- Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duan Ni
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Department of Pharmacy, Clinical and Fundamental Research Center, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine (SJTU-SM), Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Department of Pharmacy, Clinical and Fundamental Research Center, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine (SJTU-SM), Shanghai, China
| | - Dong-Min Yin
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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43
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Seewald A, Schönherr S, Hörtnagl H, Ehrlich I, Schmuckermair C, Ferraguti F. Fear Memory Retrieval Is Associated With a Reduction in AMPA Receptor Density at Thalamic to Amygdala Intercalated Cell Synapses. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:634558. [PMID: 34295235 PMCID: PMC8290482 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.634558] [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: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala plays a crucial role in attaching emotional significance to environmental cues. Its intercalated cell masses (ITC) are tight clusters of GABAergic neurons, which are distributed around the basolateral amygdala complex. Distinct ITC clusters are involved in the acquisition and extinction of conditioned fear responses. Previously, we have shown that fear memory retrieval reduces the AMPA/NMDA ratio at thalamic afferents to ITC neurons within the dorsal medio-paracapsular cluster. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the fear-mediated reduction in the AMPA/NMDA ratio at these synapses and, in particular, whether specific changes in the synaptic density of AMPA receptors underlie the observed change. To this aim, we used a detergent-digested freeze-fracture replica immunolabeling technique (FRIL) approach that enables to visualize the spatial distribution of intrasynaptic AMPA receptors at high resolution. AMPA receptors were detected using an antibody raised against an epitope common to all AMPA subunits. To visualize thalamic inputs, we virally transduced the posterior thalamic complex with Channelrhodopsin 2-YFP, which is anterogradely transported along axons. Using face-matched replica, we confirmed that the postsynaptic elements were ITC neurons due to their prominent expression of μ-opioid receptors. With this approach, we show that, following auditory fear conditioning in mice, the formation and retrieval of fear memory is linked to a significant reduction in the density of AMPA receptors, particularly at spine synapses formed by inputs of the posterior intralaminar thalamic and medial geniculate nuclei onto identified ITC neurons. Our study is one of the few that has directly linked the regulation of AMPA receptor trafficking to memory processes in identified neuronal networks, by showing that fear-memory induced reduction in AMPA/NMDA ratio at thalamic-ITC synapses is associated with a reduced postsynaptic AMPA receptor density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Seewald
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sabine Schönherr
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heide Hörtnagl
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ingrid Ehrlich
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Francesco Ferraguti
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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44
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A thalamo-amygdalar circuit underlying the extinction of remote fear memories. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:964-974. [PMID: 34017129 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fear and trauma generate some of the longest-lived memories. Despite the corresponding need to understand how such memories can be attenuated, the underlying brain circuits remain unknown. Here, combining viral tracing, neuronal activity mapping, fiber photometry, chemogenetic and closed-loop optogenetic manipulations in mice, we show that the extinction of remote (30-day-old) fear memories depends on thalamic nucleus reuniens (NRe) inputs to the basolateral amygdala (BLA). We found that remote, but not recent (1-day-old), fear extinction activates NRe-to-BLA inputs, which become potentiated upon fear reduction. Furthermore, both monosynaptic NRe-to-BLA and total NRe activity increase shortly before freezing cessation, suggesting that the NRe registers and transmits safety signals to the BLA. Accordingly, pan-NRe and pathway-specific NRe-to-BLA inhibition impairs, whereas their activation facilitates, remote fear extinction. These findings identify the NRe as a crucial BLA regulator for extinction and provide the first functional description of the circuits underlying the attenuation of consolidated fear memories.
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45
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Reyes-García SE, Escobar ML. Calcineurin Participation in Hebbian and Homeostatic Plasticity Associated With Extinction. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:685838. [PMID: 34220454 PMCID: PMC8242195 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.685838] [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: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, animals need to adapt to constant changes in their environment. Learning and memory are cognitive capabilities that allow this to happen. Extinction, the reduction of a certain behavior or learning previously established, refers to a very particular and interesting type of learning that has been the basis of a series of therapies to diminish non-adaptive behaviors. In recent years, the exploration of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this type of learning has received increasing attention. Hebbian plasticity (the activity-dependent modification of the strength or efficacy of synaptic transmission), and homeostatic plasticity (the homeostatic regulation of plasticity) constitute processes intimately associated with memory formation and maintenance. Particularly, long-term depression (LTD) has been proposed as the underlying mechanism of extinction, while the protein phosphatase calcineurin (CaN) has been widely related to both the extinction process and LTD. In this review, we focus on the available evidence that sustains CaN modulation of LTD and its association with extinction. Beyond the classic view, we also examine the interconnection among extinction, Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity, as well as emergent evidence of the participation of kinases and long-term potentiation (LTP) on extinction learning, highlighting the importance of the balance between kinases and phosphatases in the expression of extinction. Finally, we also integrate data that shows the association between extinction and less-studied phenomena, such as synaptic silencing and engram formation that open new perspectives in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salma E Reyes-García
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Aprendizaje y la Memoria, División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Aprendizaje y la Memoria, División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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46
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Han DH, Park P, Choi DI, Bliss TVP, Kaang BK. The essence of the engram: Cellular or synaptic? Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 125:122-135. [PMID: 34103208 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Memory is composed of various phases including cellular consolidation, systems consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction. In the last few years it has been shown that simple association memories can be encoded by a subset of the neuronal population called engram cells. Activity of these cells is necessary and sufficient for the recall of association memory. However, it is unclear which molecular mechanisms allow cellular engrams to encode the diverse phases of memory. Further research is needed to examine the possibility that it is the synapses between engram cells (the synaptic engram) that constitute the memory. In this review we summarize recent findings on cellular engrams with a focus on different phases of memory, and discuss the distinct molecular mechanism required for cellular and synaptic engrams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Hee Han
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Pojeong Park
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Il Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Tim V P Bliss
- Group leader emeritus, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, Somers Town, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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47
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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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Hoffman AF, Hwang EK, Lupica CR. Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity by Cannabis, Δ 9-THC, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a039743. [PMID: 32341064 PMCID: PMC8091957 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability of neurons to dynamically and flexibly encode synaptic inputs via short- and long-term plasticity is critical to an organism's ability to learn and adapt to the environment. Whereas synaptic plasticity may be encoded by pre- or postsynaptic mechanisms, current evidence suggests that optimization of learning requires both forms of plasticity. Endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs) play critical roles in modulating synaptic transmission via activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1Rs) in many central nervous system (CNS) regions, and the eCB system has been implicated, either directly or indirectly, in several forms of synaptic plasticity. Because of this, perturbations within the eCB signaling system can lead to impairments in a variety of learned behaviors. One agent of altered eCB signaling is exposure to "exogenous cannabinoids" such as the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ9-THC, or illicit synthetic cannabinoids that in many cases have higher potency and efficacy than Δ9-THC. Thus, by targeting the eCB system, these agonists can produce widespread impairment of synaptic plasticity by disrupting ongoing eCB function. Here, we review studies in which Δ9-THC and synthetic cannabinoids impair synaptic plasticity in a variety of neuronal circuits and examine evidence that this contributes to their well-documented ability to disrupt cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F Hoffman
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Carl R Lupica
- Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Svalina MN, Guthman EM, Cea-Del Rio CA, Kushner JK, Baca SM, Restrepo D, Huntsman MM. Hyperexcitability and Loss of Feedforward Inhibition Contribute to Aberrant Plasticity in the Fmr1KO Amygdala. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0113-21.2021. [PMID: 33893168 PMCID: PMC8121259 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0113-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) characterized by intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and anxiety disorders. The disruption in the function of the FMR1 gene results in a range of alterations in cellular and synaptic function. Previous studies have identified dynamic alterations in inhibitory neurotransmission in early postnatal development in the amygdala of the mouse model of FXS. However, little is known about how these changes alter microcircuit development and plasticity in the lateral amygdala (LA). Using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we demonstrate that principal neurons (PNs) in the LA exhibit hyperexcitability with a concomitant increase in the synaptic strength of excitatory synapses in the BLA. Further, reduced feed-forward inhibition appears to enhance synaptic plasticity in the FXS amygdala. These results demonstrate that plasticity is enhanced in the amygdala of the juvenile Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mouse and that E/I imbalance may underpin anxiety disorders commonly seen in FXS and ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Svalina
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - E Mae Guthman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Christian A Cea-Del Rio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9160000, Chile
| | - J Keenan Kushner
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Serapio M Baca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Diego Restrepo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Molly M Huntsman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
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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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