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Lazaridis I, Crittenden JR, Ahn G, Hirokane K, Yoshida T, Wickersham IR, Mahar A, Skara V, Loftus JH, Parvataneni K, Meletis K, Ting JT, Hueske E, Matsushima A, Graybiel AM. Striosomes Target Nigral Dopamine-Containing Neurons via Direct-D1 and Indirect-D2 Pathways Paralleling Classic Direct-Indirect Basal Ganglia Systems. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.01.596922. [PMID: 38915684 PMCID: PMC11195572 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.01.596922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Balanced activity of canonical direct D1 and indirect D2 basal ganglia pathways is considered a core requirement for normal movement, and their imbalance is an etiologic factor in movement and neuropsychiatric disorders. We present evidence for a conceptually equivalent pair of direct-D1 and indirect-D2 pathways that arise from striatal projection neurons (SPNs) of the striosome compartment rather than from SPNs of the matrix, as do the canonical pathways. These S-D1 and S-D2 striosomal pathways target substantia nigra dopamine-containing neurons instead of basal ganglia motor output nuclei. They modulate movement oppositely to the modulation by the canonical pathways: S-D1 is inhibitory and S-D2 is excitatory. The S-D1 and S-D2 circuits likely influence motivation for learning and action, complementing and reorienting canonical pathway modulation. A major conceptual reformulation of the classic direct-indirect pathway model of basal ganglia function is needed, as well as reconsideration of the effects of D2-targeting therapeutic drugs. HIGHLIGHTS Direct S-D1 and Indirect S-D2 striosomal pathways target SNpc dopamine cellsThe S-D2 indirect pathway targets a distinct central external pallidal zone (cGPe)Stimulation of S-D2 increases, of S-D1 decreases, striatal dopamine and movementS-D1 SPNs activity brackets task, inverse to a mid-task peak of dopamine release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iakovos Lazaridis
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Jill R. Crittenden
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Gun Ahn
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Kojiro Hirokane
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Tomoko Yoshida
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Ian R. Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Ara Mahar
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | | | - Johnny H. Loftus
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Krishna Parvataneni
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | | | - Jonathan T. Ting
- Human Cell Types Dept, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle WA 98109, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195, USA
| | - Emily Hueske
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Ayano Matsushima
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
| | - Ann M. Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
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Kong MS, Ancell E, Witten DM, Zweifel LS. Valence and Salience Encoding in the Central Amygdala. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.05.602310. [PMID: 39005417 PMCID: PMC11245111 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.05.602310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) has emerged as an important brain region for regulating both negative (fear and anxiety) and positive (reward) affective behaviors. The CeA has been proposed to encode affective information in the form of valence (whether the stimulus is good or bad) or salience (how significant is the stimulus), but the extent to which these two types of stimulus representation occur in the CeA is not known. Here, we used single cell calcium imaging in mice during appetitive and aversive conditioning and found that majority of CeA neurons (~65%) encode the valence of the unconditioned stimulus (US) with a smaller subset of cells (~15%) encoding the salience of the US. Valence and salience encoding of the conditioned stimulus (CS) was also observed, albeit to a lesser extent. These findings show that the CeA is a site of convergence for encoding oppositely valenced US information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Seon Kong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA
| | - Ethan Ancell
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA
| | - Daniela M. Witten
- Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA
| | - Larry S. Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA
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3
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Dou YN, Liu Y, Ding WQ, Li Q, Zhou H, Li L, Zhao MT, Li ZYQ, Yuan J, Wang XF, Zou WY, Li A, Sun YG. Single-neuron projectome-guided analysis reveals the neural circuit mechanism underlying endogenous opioid antinociception. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwae195. [PMID: 39045468 PMCID: PMC11264302 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae195] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Endogenous opioid antinociception is a self-regulatory mechanism that reduces chronic pain, but its underlying circuit mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that endogenous opioid antinociception required the activation of mu-opioid receptors (MORs) in GABAergic neurons of the central amygdala nucleus (CEA) in a persistent-hyperalgesia mouse model. Pharmacogenetic suppression of these CEAMOR neurons, which mimics the effect of MOR activation, alleviated the persistent hyperalgesia. Furthermore, single-neuron projection analysis revealed multiple projectome-based subtypes of CEAMOR neurons, each innervating distinct target brain regions. We found that the suppression of axon branches projecting to the parabrachial nucleus (PB) of one subtype of CEAMOR neurons alleviated persistent hyperalgesia, indicating a subtype- and axonal-branch-specific mechanism of action. Further electrophysiological analysis revealed that suppression of a distinct CEA-PB disinhibitory circuit controlled endogenous opioid antinociception. Thus, this study identified the central neural circuit that underlies endogenous opioid antinociception, providing new insight into the endogenous pain modulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Nong Dou
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- Department of Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wen-Qun Ding
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qing Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ling Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meng-Ting Zhao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zheng-Yi-Qi Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wang-Yuan Zou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Anan Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yan-Gang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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Comyn T, Preat T, Pavlowsky A, Plaçais PY. PKCδ is an activator of neuronal mitochondrial metabolism that mediates the spacing effect on memory consolidation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.06.561186. [PMID: 38948698 PMCID: PMC11212906 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.06.561186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Relevance-based selectivity and high energy cost are two distinct features of long-term memory (LTM) formation that warrant its default inhibition. Spaced repetition of learning is a highly conserved cognitive mechanism that can lift this inhibition. Here, we questioned how the spacing effect integrates experience selection and energy efficiency at the cellular and molecular levels. We showed in Drosophila that spaced training triggers LTM formation by extending over several hours an increased mitochondrial metabolic activity in neurons of the associative memory center, the mushroom bodies (MBs). We found that this effect is mediated by PKCδ, a member of the so-called 'novel PKC' family of enzymes, which uncovers the critical function of PKCδ in neurons as a regulator of mitochondrial metabolism for LTM. Additionally, PKCδ activation and translocation to mitochondria result from LTM-specific dopamine signaling on MB neurons. By bridging experience-dependent neuronal circuit activity with metabolic modulation of memory-encoding neurons, PKCδ signaling binds the cognitive and metabolic constraints underlying LTM formation into a unified gating mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Typhaine Comyn
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Preat
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alice Pavlowsky
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
- Co-corresponding authors
| | - Pierre-Yves Plaçais
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
- Co-corresponding authors
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Fraser KM, Kim TH, Castro M, Drieu C, Padovan-Hernandez Y, Chen B, Pat F, Ottenheimer DJ, Janak PH. Encoding and context-dependent control of reward consumption within the central nucleus of the amygdala. iScience 2024; 27:109652. [PMID: 38650988 PMCID: PMC11033178 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109652] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the central amygdala is thought to underlie aberrant choice in alcohol use disorder, but the role of central amygdala neural activity during reward choice and consumption is unclear. We recorded central amygdala neurons in male rats as they consumed alcohol or sucrose. We observed activity changes at the time of reward approach, as well as lick-entrained activity during ongoing consumption of both rewards. In choice scenarios where rats could drink sucrose, alcohol, or quinine-adulterated alcohol with or without central amygdala optogenetic stimulation, rats drank more of stimulation-paired options when the two bottles contained identical options. Given a choice among different options, central amygdala stimulation usually enhanced consumption of stimulation-paired rewards. However, optogenetic stimulation during consumption of the less-preferred option, alcohol, was unable to enhance alcohol intake while sucrose was available. These findings indicate that the central amygdala contributes to refining motivated pursuit toward the preferred available option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt M. Fraser
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Tabitha H. Kim
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Matilde Castro
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Céline Drieu
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Bridget Chen
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Fiona Pat
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - David J. Ottenheimer
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Patricia H. Janak
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
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6
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Pomrenze MB, Vaillancourt S, Llorach P, Rijsketic DR, Casey AB, Gregory N, Salgado JS, Malenka RC, Heifets BD. Opioid receptor expressing neurons of the central amygdala gate behavioral effects of ketamine in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.03.583196. [PMID: 38496451 PMCID: PMC10942405 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.03.583196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Ketamine has anesthetic, analgesic, and antidepressant properties which may involve multiple neuromodulatory systems. In humans, the opioid receptor (OR) antagonist naltrexone blocks the antidepressant effect of ketamine. It is unclear whether naltrexone blocks a direct effect of ketamine at ORs, or whether normal functioning of the OR system is required to realize the full antidepressant effects of treatment. In mice, the effect of ketamine on locomotion, but not analgesia or the forced swim test, was sensitive to naltrexone and was therefore used as a behavioral readout to localize the effect of naltrexone in the brain. We performed whole-brain imaging of cFos expression in ketamine-treated mice, pretreated with naltrexone or vehicle, and identified the central amygdala (CeA) as the area with greatest difference in cFos intensity. CeA neurons expressing both μOR (MOR) and PKCμ were strongly activated by naltrexone but not ketamine, and selectively interrupting MOR function in the CeA either pharmacologically or genetically blocked the locomotor effects of ketamine. These data suggest that MORs expressed in CeA neurons gate behavioral effects of ketamine but are not direct targets of ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B. Pomrenze
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Sam Vaillancourt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Pierre Llorach
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel Ryskamp Rijsketic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Austen B. Casey
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Nicholas Gregory
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Juliana S. Salgado
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Robert C. Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Boris D. Heifets
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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7
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Hamati R, Ahrens J, Shvetz C, Holahan MR, Tuominen L. 65 years of research on dopamine's role in classical fear conditioning and extinction: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1099-1140. [PMID: 37848184 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16157] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter, has historically been associated with the encoding of reward, whereas its role in aversion has received less attention. Here, we systematically gathered the vast evidence of the role of dopamine in the simplest forms of aversive learning: classical fear conditioning and extinction. In the past, crude methods were used to augment or inhibit dopamine to study its relationship with fear conditioning and extinction. More advanced techniques such as conditional genetic, chemogenic and optogenetic approaches now provide causal evidence for dopamine's role in these learning processes. Dopamine neurons encode conditioned stimuli during fear conditioning and extinction and convey the signal via activation of D1-4 receptor sites particularly in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and striatum. The coordinated activation of dopamine receptors allows for the continuous formation, consolidation, retrieval and updating of fear and extinction memory in a dynamic and reciprocal manner. Based on the reviewed literature, we conclude that dopamine is crucial for the encoding of classical fear conditioning and extinction and contributes in a way that is comparable to its role in encoding reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Hamati
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Ahrens
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cecelia Shvetz
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew R Holahan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Fudge JL, Kelly EA, Love TM. Amygdalo-nigral inputs target dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons in the primate: a view from dendrites and soma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.16.575910. [PMID: 38293165 PMCID: PMC10827221 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.16.575910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The central nucleus (CeN) of the amygdala is an important afferent to the DA system that mediates motivated learning. We previously found that CeN terminals in nonhuman primates primarily overlap the elongated lateral VTA (parabrachial pigmented nucleus, PBP, A10), and retrorubral field(A8) subregion. Here, we examined CeN afferent contacts on cell somata and proximal dendrites of DA and GABA neurons, and distal dendrites of each, using confocal and electron microscopy (EM) methods, respectively. At the soma/proximal dendrites, the proportion of TH+ and GAD1+ cells receiving at least one CeN afferent contact was surprisingly similar (TH = 0.55: GAD1=0.55 in PBP; TH = 0.56; GAD1 =0.51 in A8), with the vast majority of contacted TH+ and GAD1+ soma/proximal dendrites received 1-2 contacts. Similar numbers of tracer-labeled terminals also contacted TH-positive and GAD1-positive small dendrites and/or spines (39% of all contacted dendrites were either TH- or GAD1-labeled). Overall, axon terminals had more symmetric (putative inhibitory) axonal contacts with no difference in the relative distribution in the PBP versus A8, or onto TH+ versus GAD1+ dendrites/spines in either region. The striking uniformity in the amygdalonigral projection across the PBP-A8 terminal field suggests that neither neurotransmitter phenotype nor midbrain location dictates likelihood of a terminal contact. We discuss how this afferent uniformity can play out in recently discovered differences in DA:GABA cell densities between the PBP and A8, and affect specific outputs. Significance statement The amygdala's central nucleus (CeN) channels salient cues to influence both appetitive and aversive responses via DA outputs. In higher species, the broad CeN terminal field overlaps the parabrachial pigmented nucleus ('lateral A10') and the retrorubral field (A8). We quantified terminal contacts in each region on DA and GABAergic soma/proximal dendrites and small distal dendrites. There was striking uniformity in contacts on DA and GABAergic cells, regardless of soma and dendritic compartment, in both regions. Most contacts were symmetric (putative inhibitory) with little change in the ratio of inhibitory to excitatory contacts by region.We conclude that post-synaptic shifts in DA-GABA ratios are key to understanding how these relatively uniform inputs can produce diverse effects on outputs.
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9
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Kelly EA, Love TM, Fudge JL. Corticotropin-releasing factor-dopamine interactions in male and female macaque: Beyond the classic VTA. Synapse 2024; 78:e22284. [PMID: 37996987 PMCID: PMC10842953 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is involved in stress and stress-related illnesses, including many psychiatric disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a role in stress responses and targets the ventral midbrain DA system, which is composed of DA and non-DA cells, and divided into specific subregions. Although CRF inputs to the midline A10 nuclei ("classic VTA") are known, in monkeys, CRF-containing terminals are also highly enriched in the expanded A10 parabrachial pigmented nucleus (PBP) and in the A8 retrorubral field subregions. We characterized CRF-labeled synaptic terminals on DA (tyrosine hydroxylase, TH+) and non-DA (TH-) cell types in the PBP and A8 regions using immunoreactive electron microscopy (EM) in male and female macaques. CRF labeling was present mostly in axon terminals, which mainly contacted TH-negative dendrites in both subregions. Most CRF-positive terminals had symmetric profiles. In both PBP and A8, CRF symmetric (putative inhibitory) synapses onto TH-negative dendrites were significantly greater than asymmetric (putative excitatory) profiles. This overall pattern was similar in males and females, despite shifts in the size of these effects between regions depending on sex. Because stress and gonadal hormone shifts can influence CRF expression, we also did hormonal assays over a 6-month time period and found little variability in basal cortisol across similarly housed animals at the same age. Together our findings suggest that at baseline, CRF-positive synaptic terminals in the primate PBP and A8 are poised to regulate DA indirectly through synaptic contacts onto non-DA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Kelly
- Departments of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - T M Love
- Department of Biostatistics, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - J L Fudge
- Departments of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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10
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Fang Z, Chen J, Zheng Y, Chen Z. Targeting Histamine and Histamine Receptors for Memory Regulation: An Emotional Perspective. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1846-1869. [PMID: 38288837 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x22666240128003108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Histamine has long been accepted as a pro-cognitive agent. However, lines of evidence have suggested that the roles of histamine in learning and memory processes are much more complex than previously thought. When explained by the spatial perspectives, there are many contradictory results. However, using emotional memory perspectives, we suspect that the histaminergic system may interplay with stress, reward inhibition, and attention to modulate emotional memory formation. The functional diversity of histamine makes it a viable target for clinical management of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we update the current knowledge about the functions of histamine in emotional memory and summarize the underlying molecular and neural circuit mechanisms. Finally, we review the main clinical studies about the impacts of histamine-related compounds on memory and discuss insights into future research on the roles of histamine in emotional memory. Despite the recent progress in histamine research, the histaminergic emotional memory circuits are poorly understood, and it is also worth verifying the functions of histamine receptors in a more spatiotemporally specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuowen Fang
- Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yanrong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
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11
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Ho PC, Hsiao FY, Chiu SH, Lee SR, Yau HJ. A nigroincertal projection mediates aversion and enhances coping responses to potential threat. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23322. [PMID: 37983662 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202201989rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the non-DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) not only modulate motivational behaviors but also regulate defensive behaviors. While zona incerta (ZI) is a threat-responsive substrate and receives innervations from the ventral midbrain, the function of the ventral midbrain-to-ZI connection remains poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the ZI receives heterogenous innervations from the ventral midbrain. By utilizing a retrograde AAV preferentially labeling non-DA neurons in the ventral midbrain, we found that ZI-projecting non-DA cells in the ventral midbrain are activated by restraint stress. We focused on the SN and found that SN-to-ZI GABAergic input is engaged by a predatory odor. Sustained pan-neuronal SN-to-ZI activation results in aversion and enhances defensive behaviors, likely through a disinhibition mechanism to recruit downstream brain regions that regulate defensive behaviors. Collectively, our results reveal a novel role of nigroincertal projection in mediating negative valence and regulating defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Chen Ho
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Yun Hsiao
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Hong Chiu
- School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Syun-Ruei Lee
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hau-Jie Yau
- The Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behaviors, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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Nagashima T, Mikami K, Tohyama S, Konno A, Hirai H, Watabe AM. State-dependent modulation of positive and negative affective valences by a parabrachial nucleus-to-ventral tegmental area pathway in mice. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1273322. [PMID: 38094239 PMCID: PMC10716301 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1273322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Appropriately responding to various sensory signals in the environment is essential for animal survival. Accordingly, animal behaviors are closely related to external and internal states, which include the positive and negative emotional values of sensory signals triggered by environmental factors. While the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) plays a key role in nociception and supports negative valences, it also transmits signals including positive valences. However, the downstream neuronal mechanisms of positive and negative valences have not been fully explored. In the present study, we investigated the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as a projection target for LPB neurons. Optogenetic activation of LPB-VTA terminals in male mice elicits positive reinforcement in an operant task and induces both avoidance and attraction in a place-conditioning task. Inhibition of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 65-expressing cells in the VTA promotes avoidance behavior induced by photoactivation of the LPB-VTA pathway. These findings indicate that the LPB-VTA pathway is one of the LPB outputs for the transmission of positive and negative valence signals, at least in part, with GABAergic modification in VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Nagashima
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kaori Mikami
- 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
| | - 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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13
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Jovanoski KD, Duquenoy L, Mitchell J, Kapoor I, Treiber CD, Croset V, Dempsey G, Parepalli S, Cognigni P, Otto N, Felsenberg J, Waddell S. Dopaminergic systems create reward seeking despite adverse consequences. Nature 2023; 623:356-365. [PMID: 37880370 PMCID: PMC10632144 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06671-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Resource-seeking behaviours are ordinarily constrained by physiological needs and threats of danger, and the loss of these controls is associated with pathological reward seeking1. Although dysfunction of the dopaminergic valuation system of the brain is known to contribute towards unconstrained reward seeking2,3, the underlying reasons for this behaviour are unclear. Here we describe dopaminergic neural mechanisms that produce reward seeking despite adverse consequences in Drosophila melanogaster. Odours paired with optogenetic activation of a defined subset of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons become cues that starved flies seek while neglecting food and enduring electric shock punishment. Unconstrained seeking of reward is not observed after learning with sugar or synthetic engagement of other dopaminergic neuron populations. Antagonism between reward-encoding and punishment-encoding dopaminergic neurons accounts for the perseverance of reward seeking despite punishment, whereas synthetic engagement of the reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons also impairs the ordinary need-dependent dopaminergic valuation of available food. Connectome analyses reveal that the population of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons receives highly heterogeneous input, consistent with parallel representation of diverse rewards, and recordings demonstrate state-specific gating and satiety-related signals. We propose that a similar dopaminergic valuation system dysfunction is likely to contribute to maladaptive seeking of rewards by mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucille Duquenoy
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica Mitchell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ishaan Kapoor
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Vincent Croset
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Georgia Dempsey
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sai Parepalli
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paola Cognigni
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Northern Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Nils Otto
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Anatomy and Molecular Neurobiology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Johannes Felsenberg
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Scott Waddell
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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14
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Wang XY, Xu X, Chen R, Jia WB, Xu PF, Liu XQ, Zhang Y, Liu XF, Zhang Y. The thalamic reticular nucleus-lateral habenula circuit regulates depressive-like behaviors in chronic stress and chronic pain. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113170. [PMID: 37738124 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113170] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress and chronic pain are two major predisposing factors to trigger depression. Enhanced excitatory input to the lateral habenula (LHb) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. However, the contribution of inhibitory transmission remains unclear. Here, we dissect an inhibitory projection from the sensory thalamic reticular nucleus (sTRN) to the LHb, which is activated by acute aversive stimuli. However, chronic restraint stress (CRS) weakens sTRN-LHb synaptic strength, and this synaptic attenuation is indispensable for CRS-induced LHb neural hyperactivity and depression onset. Moreover, artificially inhibiting the sTRN-LHb circuit induces depressive-like behaviors in healthy mice, while enhancing this circuit relieves depression induced by both chronic stress and chronic pain. Intriguingly, neither neuropathic pain nor comorbid mechanical hypersensitivity in chronic stress is affected by this pathway. Altogether, our study demonstrates an sTRN-LHb circuit in establishing and modulating depression, thus shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for preventing or managing depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yue Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Wen-Bin Jia
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Peng-Fei Xu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission of China, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Xin-Feng Liu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
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15
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Dorofeikova M, Stelly CE, Duong A, Basavanhalli S, Bean E, Weissmuller K, Sifnugel N, Resendez A, Corey DM, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. The Role of Genetically Distinct Central Amygdala Neurons in Appetitive and Aversive Responding Assayed with a Novel Dual Valence Operant Conditioning Paradigm. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0319-22.2023. [PMID: 37640541 PMCID: PMC10488222 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0319-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals must meet their biological needs while simultaneously avoiding danger. However, the neurobiological basis of appetitive and aversive survival behaviors has historically been studied using separate behavioral tasks. While recent studies in mice have quantified appetitive and aversive conditioned responses simultaneously (Jikomes et al., 2016; Heinz et al., 2017), these tasks required different behavioral responses to each stimulus. As many brain regions involved in survival behavior process stimuli of opposite valence, we developed a paradigm in which mice perform the same response (nose poke) to distinct auditory cues to obtain a rewarding outcome (palatable food) or avoid an aversive outcome (mild footshoock). This design allows for both within-subject and between-subject comparisons as animals respond to appetitive and aversive cues. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is implicated in the regulation of responses to stimuli of either valence. Considering its role in threat processing (Wilensky et al., 2006; Haubensak et al., 2010) and regulation of incentive salience (Warlow and Berridge, 2021), it is important to examine the contribution of the CeA to mechanisms potentially underlying comorbid dysregulation of avoidance and reward (Sinha, 2008; Bolton et al., 2009). Using this paradigm, we tested the role of two molecularly defined CeA subtypes previously linked to consummatory and defensive behaviors. Significant strain differences in the acquisition and performance of the task were observed. Bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation of CeA somatostatin (SOM) neurons altered motivation for reward and perseveration of reward-seeking responses on avoidance trials. Manipulation of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons (CRF) had no significant effect on food reward consumption, motivation, or task performance. This paradigm will facilitate investigations into the neuronal mechanisms controlling motivated behavior across valences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Anh Duong
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | | | - Erin Bean
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | | | - Natalia Sifnugel
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - David M Corey
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
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16
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Dorofeikova M, Stelly CE, Duong A, Basavanhalli S, Bean E, Weissmuller K, Sifnugel N, Resendez A, Corey DM, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. The role of genetically distinct central amygdala neurons in appetitive and aversive responding assayed with a novel dual valence operant conditioning paradigm. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.07.547979. [PMID: 37461627 PMCID: PMC10350072 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.07.547979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
To survive, animals must meet their biological needs while simultaneously avoiding danger. However, the neurobiological basis of appetitive and aversive survival behaviors has historically been studied using separate behavioral tasks. While recent studies in mice have quantified appetitive and aversive conditioned responses simultaneously (Heinz et al., 2017; Jikomes et al., 2016), these tasks required different behavioral responses to each stimulus. As many brain regions involved in survival behavior process stimuli of opposite valence, we developed a paradigm in which mice perform the same response (nosepoke) to distinct auditory cues to obtain a rewarding outcome (palatable food) or avoid an aversive outcome (mild footshoock). This design allows for both within- and between-subject comparisons as animals respond to appetitive and aversive cues. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is implicated in the regulation of responses to stimuli of either valence. Considering its role in threat processing (Haubensak et al., 2010; Wilensky et al., 2006) and regulation of incentive salience (Warlow and Berridge, 2021), it is important to examine the contribution of the CeA to mechanisms potentially underlying comorbid dysregulation of avoidance and reward (Bolton et al., 2009; Sinha, 2008). Using this paradigm, we tested the role of two molecularly defined CeA subtypes previously linked to consummatory and defensive behaviors. Significant strain differences in the acquisition and performance of the task were observed. Bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation of CeA somatostatin (SOM) neurons altered motivation for reward and perseveration of reward-seeking responses on avoidance trials. Manipulation of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons (CRF) had no significant effect on food reward consumption, motivation, or task performance. This paradigm will facilitate investigations into the neuronal mechanisms controlling motivated behavior across valences. Significance Statement It is unclear how different neuronal populations contribute to reward- and aversion-driven behaviors within a subject. To address this question, we developed a novel behavioral paradigm in which mice obtain food and avoid footshocks via the same operant response. We then use this paradigm to test how the central amygdala coordinates appetitive and aversive behavioral responses. By testing somatostatin-IRES-Cre and CRF-IRES-Cre transgenic lines, we found significant differences between strains on task acquisition and performance. Using chemogenetics, we demonstrate that CeA SOM+ neurons regulate motivation for reward, while manipulation of CeA CRF+ neurons had no effect on task performance. Future studies investigating the interaction between positive and negative motivation circuits should benefit from the use of this dual valence paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Claire E. Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Anh Duong
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | | | - Erin Bean
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | | | - Natalia Sifnugel
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - David M. Corey
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Jeffrey G. Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Jonathan P. Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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17
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Fraser KM, Kim TH, Castro M, Drieu C, Padovan-Hernandez Y, Chen B, Pat F, Ottenheimer DJ, Janak PH. Encoding and context-dependent control of reward consumption within the central nucleus of the amygdala. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.28.546936. [PMID: 37425773 PMCID: PMC10327036 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.28.546936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The ability to evaluate and select a preferred option among a variety of available offers is an essential aspect of goal-directed behavior. Dysregulation of this valuation process is characteristic of alcohol use disorder, with the central amygdala being implicated in persistent alcohol pursuit. However, the mechanism by which the central amygdala encodes and promotes the motivation to seek and consume alcohol remains unclear. We recorded single-unit activity in male Long-Evans rats as they consumed 10% ethanol or 14.2% sucrose. We observed significant activity at the time of approach to alcohol or sucrose, as well as lick-entrained activity during the ongoing consumption of both alcohol and sucrose. We then evaluated the ability of central amygdala optogenetic manipulation time-locked to consumption to alter ongoing intake of alcohol or sucrose, a preferred non-drug reward. In closed two-choice scenarios where rats could drink only sucrose, alcohol, or quinine-adulterated alcohol with or without central amygdala stimulation, rats drank more of stimulation-paired options. Microstructural analysis of licking patterns suggests these effects were mediated by changes in motivation, not palatability. Given a choice among different options, central amygdala stimulation enhanced consumption if the stimulation was associated with the preferred reward while closed-loop inhibition only decreased consumption if the options were equally valued. However, optogenetic stimulation during consumption of the less-preferred option, alcohol, was unable to enhance overall alcohol intake while sucrose was available. Collectively, these findings indicate that the central amygdala processes the motivational value of available offers to promote pursuit of the most preferred available option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt M Fraser
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Tabitha H Kim
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Matilde Castro
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Céline Drieu
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Bridget Chen
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Fiona Pat
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - David J Ottenheimer
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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18
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Peters C, He S, Fermani F, Lim H, Ding W, Mayer C, Klein R. Transcriptomics reveals amygdala neuron regulation by fasting and ghrelin thereby promoting feeding. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6521. [PMID: 37224253 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) consists of numerous genetically defined inhibitory neurons that control defensive and appetitive behaviors including feeding. Transcriptomic signatures of cell types and their links to function remain poorly understood. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we describe nine CeA cell clusters, of which four are mostly associated with appetitive and two with aversive behaviors. To analyze the activation mechanism of appetitive CeA neurons, we characterized serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a)-expressing neurons (CeAHtr2a) that comprise three appetitive clusters and were previously shown to promote feeding. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that CeAHtr2a neurons are activated by fasting, the hormone ghrelin, and the presence of food. Moreover, these neurons are required for the orexigenic effects of ghrelin. Appetitive CeA neurons responsive to fasting and ghrelin project to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) causing inhibition of target PBN neurons. These results illustrate how the transcriptomic diversification of CeA neurons relates to fasting and hormone-regulated feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Peters
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Songwei He
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Federica Fermani
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Hansol Lim
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wenyu Ding
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christian Mayer
- Laboratory of Neurogenomics, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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19
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Maeda K, Inoue KI, Takada M, Hikosaka O. Environmental context-dependent activation of dopamine neurons via putative amygdala-nigra pathway in macaques. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2282. [PMID: 37085491 PMCID: PMC10121604 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37584-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Seeking out good and avoiding bad objects is critical for survival. In practice, objects are rarely good every time or everywhere, but only at the right time or place. Whereas the basal ganglia (BG) are known to mediate goal-directed behavior, for example, saccades to rewarding objects, it remains unclear how such simple behaviors are rendered contingent on higher-order factors, including environmental context. Here we show that amygdala neurons are sensitive to environments and may regulate putative dopamine (DA) neurons via an inhibitory projection to the substantia nigra (SN). In male macaques, we combined optogenetics with multi-channel recording to demonstrate that rewarding environments induce tonic firing changes in DA neurons as well as phasic responses to rewarding events. These responses may be mediated by disinhibition via a GABAergic projection onto DA neurons, which in turn is suppressed by an inhibitory projection from the amygdala. Thus, the amygdala may provide an additional source of learning to BG circuits, namely contingencies imposed by the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutaka Maeda
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan.
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Okihide Hikosaka
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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20
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Cuevas JS, Watanabe M, Uematsu A, Johansen JP. Whole-brain afferent input mapping to functionally distinct brainstem noradrenaline cell types. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00074-3. [PMID: 37062443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small region in the pons and the main source of noradrenaline (NA) to the forebrain. While traditional models suggested that all LC-NA neurons project indiscriminately throughout the brain, accumulating evidence indicates that these cells can be heterogeneous based on their anatomical connectivity and behavioral functionality and exhibit distinct coding modes. How LC-NA neuronal subpopulations are endowed with unique functional properties is unclear. Here, we used a viral-genetic approach for mapping anatomical connectivity at different levels of organization based on inputs and outputs of defined cell classes. Specifically, we studied the whole-brain afferent inputs onto two functionally distinct LC-NA neuronal subpopulations which project to amygdala or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that the global input distribution is similar for both LC-NA neuronal subpopulations. However, finer analysis demonstrated important differences in inputs from specific brain regions. Moreover, sex related differences were apparent, but only in inputs to amygdala-projecting LC-NA neurons. These findings reveal a cell type and sex specific afferent input organization which could allow for context dependent and target specific control of NA outflow to forebrain structures involved in emotional control and decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Sulkes Cuevas
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Mayumi Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Akira Uematsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan.
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21
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Sullivan M, Fernandez-Aranda F, Camacho-Barcia L, Harkin A, Macrì S, Mora-Maltas B, Jiménez-Murcia S, O'Leary A, Ottomana AM, Presta M, Slattery D, Scholtz S, Glennon JC. Insulin and Disorders of Behavioural Flexibility. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105169. [PMID: 37059405 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105169] [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: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Behavioural inflexibility is a symptom of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Alzheimer's Disease, encompassing the maintenance of a behaviour even when no longer appropriate. Recent evidence suggests that insulin signalling has roles apart from its regulation of peripheral metabolism and mediates behaviourally-relevant central nervous system (CNS) functions including behavioural flexibility. Indeed, insulin resistance is reported to generate anxious, perseverative phenotypes in animal models, with the Type 2 diabetes medication metformin proving to be beneficial for disorders including Alzheimer's Disease. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies of Type 2 diabetes patients have highlighted aberrant connectivity in regions governing salience detection, attention, inhibition and memory. As currently available therapeutic strategies feature high rates of resistance, there is an urgent need to better understand the complex aetiology of behaviour and develop improved therapeutics. In this review, we explore the circuitry underlying behavioural flexibility, changes in Type 2 diabetes, the role of insulin in CNS outcomes and mechanisms of insulin involvement across disorders of behavioural inflexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mairéad Sullivan
- Conway Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Research, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Fernando Fernandez-Aranda
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain; Psychoneurobiology of Eating and Addictive Behaviors Group, Neurosciences Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucía Camacho-Barcia
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain; Psychoneurobiology of Eating and Addictive Behaviors Group, Neurosciences Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrew Harkin
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simone Macrì
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Bernat Mora-Maltas
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain; Psychoneurobiology of Eating and Addictive Behaviors Group, Neurosciences Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Jiménez-Murcia
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain; Psychoneurobiology of Eating and Addictive Behaviors Group, Neurosciences Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aet O'Leary
- University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Angela Maria Ottomana
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; Neuroscience Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Presta
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Conway Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Research, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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22
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Perisse E, Miranda M, Trouche S. Modulation of aversive value coding in the vertebrate and invertebrate brain. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 79:102696. [PMID: 36871400 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding potentially dangerous situations is key for the survival of any organism. Throughout life, animals learn to avoid environments, stimuli or actions that can lead to bodily harm. While the neural bases for appetitive learning, evaluation and value-based decision-making have received much attention, recent studies have revealed more complex computations for aversive signals during learning and decision-making than previously thought. Furthermore, previous experience, internal state and systems level appetitive-aversive interactions seem crucial for learning specific aversive value signals and making appropriate choices. The emergence of novel methodologies (computation analysis coupled with large-scale neuronal recordings, neuronal manipulations at unprecedented resolution offered by genetics, viral strategies and connectomics) has helped to provide novel circuit-based models for aversive (and appetitive) valuation. In this review, we focus on recent vertebrate and invertebrate studies yielding strong evidence that aversive value information can be computed by a multitude of interacting brain regions, and that past experience can modulate future aversive learning and therefore influence value-based decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Perisse
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
| | - Magdalena Miranda
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Stéphanie Trouche
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
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23
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Yang T, Yu K, Zhang X, Xiao X, Chen X, Fu Y, Li B. Plastic and stimulus-specific coding of salient events in the central amygdala. Nature 2023; 616:510-519. [PMID: 37020025 PMCID: PMC10665639 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05910-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is implicated in a range of mental processes including attention, motivation, memory formation and extinction and in behaviours driven by either aversive or appetitive stimuli1-7. How it participates in these divergent functions remains elusive. Here we show that somatostatin-expressing (Sst+) CeA neurons, which mediate much of CeA functions3,6,8-10, generate experience-dependent and stimulus-specific evaluative signals essential for learning. The population responses of these neurons in mice encode the identities of a wide range of salient stimuli, with the responses of separate subpopulations selectively representing the stimuli that have contrasting valences, sensory modalities or physical properties (for example, shock and water reward). These signals scale with stimulus intensity, undergo pronounced amplification and transformation during learning, and are required for both reward and aversive learning. Notably, these signals contribute to the responses of dopamine neurons to reward and reward prediction error, but not to their responses to aversive stimuli. In line with this, Sst+ CeA neuron outputs to dopamine areas are required for reward learning, but are dispensable for aversive learning. Our results suggest that Sst+ CeA neurons selectively process information about differing salient events for evaluation during learning, supporting the diverse roles of the CeA. In particular, the information for dopamine neurons facilitates reward evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
| | - Kai Yu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Xian Zhang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering Thrust, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiong Xiao
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoke Chen
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yu Fu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bo Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
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24
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Goutaudier R, Joly F, Mallet D, Bartolomucci M, Guicherd D, Carcenac C, Vossier F, Dufourd T, Boulet S, Deransart C, Chovelon B, Carnicella S. Hypodopaminergic state of the nigrostriatal pathway drives compulsive alcohol use. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:463-474. [PMID: 36376463 PMCID: PMC9812783 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01848-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms underlying compulsive alcohol use, a cardinal feature of alcohol use disorder, remain elusive. The key modulator of motivational processes, dopamine (DA), is suspected to play an important role in this pathology, but its exact role remains to be determined. Here, we found that rats expressing compulsive-like alcohol use, operationalized as punishment-resistant self-administration, showed a decrease in DA levels restricted to the dorsolateral territories of the striatum, the main output structure of the nigrostriatal DA pathway. We then causally demonstrated that chemogenetic-induced selective hypodopaminergia of this pathway resulted in compulsive-like alcohol self-administration in otherwise resilient rats, accompanied by the emergence of alcohol withdrawal-like motivational impairments (i.e., impaired motivation for a natural reinforcer). Finally, the use of the monoamine stabilizer OSU6162, previously reported to correct hypodopaminergic states, transiently decreased compulsive-like alcohol self-administration in vulnerable rats. These results suggest a potential critical role of tonic nigrostriatal hypodopaminergic states in alcohol addiction and provide new insights into our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying compulsive alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Goutaudier
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Fanny Joly
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - David Mallet
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Magali Bartolomucci
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Denis Guicherd
- grid.410529.b0000 0001 0792 4829Service de Biochimie, Biologie Moléculaire, Toxicologie Environnementale, CHU de Grenoble-Alpes Site Nord − Institut de Biologie et de Pathologie, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Carole Carcenac
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Frédérique Vossier
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Thibault Dufourd
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sabrina Boulet
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Colin Deransart
- grid.462307.40000 0004 0429 3736Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Benoit Chovelon
- grid.410529.b0000 0001 0792 4829Service de Biochimie, Biologie Moléculaire, Toxicologie Environnementale, CHU de Grenoble-Alpes Site Nord − Institut de Biologie et de Pathologie, F-38041 Grenoble, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DPM, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sebastien Carnicella
- Inserm, U1216, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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25
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The positive valence system, adaptive behaviour and the origins of reward. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:501-513. [PMID: 36373858 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220007] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although the hey-day of motivation as an area of study is long past, the issues with which motivational theorists grappled have not grown less important: i.e. the development of deterministic explanations for the particular tuning of the nervous system to specific changes in the internal and external environment and the organisation of adaptive behavioural responses to those changes. Here, we briefly elaborate these issues in describing the structure and function of the 'positive valence system'. We describe the origins of adaptive behaviour in an ascending arousal system, sensitive to peripheral regulatory changes, that modulates and activates various central motivational states. Associations between these motivational states and sensory inputs underlie evaluative conditioning and generate the representation of the 'unconditioned' stimuli fundamental to Pavlovian conditioning. As a consequence, associations with these stimuli can generate Pavlovian conditioned responses through the motivational control of stimulus event associations with sensory and affective components of the valence system to elicit conditioned orienting, consummatory and preparatory responses, particularly the affective responses reflecting Pavlovian excitation and inhibition, arousal and reinforcement, the latter used to control the formation of habits. These affective processes also provoke emotional responses, allowing the externalisation of positive valence in hedonic experience to generate the goal or reward values that mediate goal-directed action. Together these processes form the positive valence system, ensure the maintenance of adaptive behaviour and, through the association of sensory events and emotional responses through consummatory experience, provide the origins of reward.
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26
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Chang S, Fermani F, Lao CL, Huang L, Jakovcevski M, Di Giaimo R, Gagliardi M, Menegaz D, Hennrich AA, Ziller M, Eder M, Klein R, Cai N, Deussing JM. Tripartite extended amygdala-basal ganglia CRH circuit drives locomotor activation and avoidance behavior. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo1023. [PMID: 36383658 PMCID: PMC9668302 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo1023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
An adaptive stress response involves various mediators and circuits orchestrating a complex interplay of physiological, emotional, and behavioral adjustments. We identified a population of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the lateral part of the interstitial nucleus of the anterior commissure (IPACL), a subdivision of the extended amygdala, which exclusively innervate the substantia nigra (SN). Specific stimulation of this circuit elicits hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, locomotor activation, and avoidance behavior contingent on CRH receptor type 1 (CRHR1) located at axon terminals in the SN, which originate from external globus pallidus (GPe) neurons. The neuronal activity prompting the observed behavior is shaped by IPACLCRH and GPeCRHR1 neurons coalescing in the SN. These results delineate a previously unidentified tripartite CRH circuit functionally connecting extended amygdala and basal ganglia nuclei to drive locomotor activation and avoidance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Chang
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Federica Fermani
- Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (in foundation), Martinsried, Germany
| | - Chu-Lan Lao
- Collaborative Research Centre/Sonderforschungsbereich (SFB) 870, Viral Vector Facility, Munich, Germany
| | - Lianyun Huang
- Translational Genetics, Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Mira Jakovcevski
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Rossella Di Giaimo
- Developmental Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples Italy
| | - Miriam Gagliardi
- Genomics of Complex Diseases, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Danusa Menegaz
- Scientific Core Unit Electrophysiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandru Adrian Hennrich
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute Virology, Medical Faculty, and Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Ziller
- Scientific Core Unit Electrophysiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Eder
- Scientific Core Unit Electrophysiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (in foundation), Martinsried, Germany
| | - Na Cai
- Translational Genetics, Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M. Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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27
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McKay A, Costa EK, Chen J, Hu CK, Chen X, Bedbrook CN, Khondker RC, Thielvoldt M, Priya Singh P, Wyss-Coray T, Brunet A. An automated feeding system for the African killifish reveals the impact of diet on lifespan and allows scalable assessment of associative learning. eLife 2022; 11:e69008. [PMID: 36354233 PMCID: PMC9788828 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The African turquoise killifish is an exciting new vertebrate model for aging studies. A significant challenge for any model organism is the control over its diet in space and time. To address this challenge, we created an automated and networked fish feeding system. Our automated feeder is designed to be open-source, easily transferable, and built from widely available components. Compared to manual feeding, our automated system is highly precise and flexible. As a proof of concept for the feeding flexibility of these automated feeders, we define a favorable regimen for growth and fertility for the African killifish and a dietary restriction regimen where both feeding time and quantity are reduced. We show that this dietary restriction regimen extends lifespan in males (but not in females) and impacts the transcriptomes of killifish livers in a sex-specific manner. Moreover, combining our automated feeding system with a video camera, we establish a quantitative associative learning assay to provide an integrative measure of cognitive performance for the killifish. The ability to precisely control food delivery in the killifish opens new areas to assess lifespan and cognitive behavior dynamics and to screen for dietary interventions and drugs in a scalable manner previously impossible with traditional vertebrate model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew McKay
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Biology Graduate Program, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Emma K Costa
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Jingxun Chen
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Xiaoshan Chen
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Claire N Bedbrook
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Anne Brunet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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28
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Limoges A, Yarur HE, Tejeda HA. Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:963691. [PMID: 36276608 PMCID: PMC9579273 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amygdaloid circuits are involved in a variety of emotional and motivation-related behaviors and are impacted by stress. The amygdala expresses several neuromodulatory systems, including opioid peptides and their receptors. The Dynorphin (Dyn)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of emotional and stress-related information and is expressed in brain areas involved in stress and motivation. Dysregulation of the Dyn/KOR system has also been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is limited information about the role of the Dyn/KOR system in regulating amygdala circuitry. Here, we review the literature on the (1) basic anatomy of the amygdala, (2) functional regulation of synaptic transmission by the Dyn/KOR system, (3) anatomical architecture and function of the Dyn/KOR system in the amygdala, (4) regulation of amygdala-dependent behaviors by the Dyn/KOR system, and (5) future directions for the field. Future work investigating how the Dyn/KOR system shapes a wide range of amygdala-related behaviors will be required to increase our understanding of underlying circuitry modulation by the Dyn/KOR system. We anticipate that continued focus on the amygdala Dyn/KOR system will also elucidate novel ways to target the Dyn/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Limoges
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- NIH-Columbia University Individual Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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29
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Revah O, Gore F, Kelley KW, Andersen J, Sakai N, Chen X, Li MY, Birey F, Yang X, Saw NL, Baker SW, Amin ND, Kulkarni S, Mudipalli R, Cui B, Nishino S, Grant GA, Knowles JK, Shamloo M, Huguenard JR, Deisseroth K, Pașca SP. Maturation and circuit integration of transplanted human cortical organoids. Nature 2022; 610:319-326. [PMID: 36224417 PMCID: PMC9556304 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05277-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Self-organizing neural organoids represent a promising in vitro platform with which to model human development and disease1-5. However, organoids lack the connectivity that exists in vivo, which limits maturation and makes integration with other circuits that control behaviour impossible. Here we show that human stem cell-derived cortical organoids transplanted into the somatosensory cortex of newborn athymic rats develop mature cell types that integrate into sensory and motivation-related circuits. MRI reveals post-transplantation organoid growth across multiple stem cell lines and animals, whereas single-nucleus profiling shows progression of corticogenesis and the emergence of activity-dependent transcriptional programs. Indeed, transplanted cortical neurons display more complex morphological, synaptic and intrinsic membrane properties than their in vitro counterparts, which enables the discovery of defects in neurons derived from individuals with Timothy syndrome. Anatomical and functional tracings show that transplanted organoids receive thalamocortical and corticocortical inputs, and in vivo recordings of neural activity demonstrate that these inputs can produce sensory responses in human cells. Finally, cortical organoids extend axons throughout the rat brain and their optogenetic activation can drive reward-seeking behaviour. Thus, transplanted human cortical neurons mature and engage host circuits that control behaviour. We anticipate that this approach will be useful for detecting circuit-level phenotypes in patient-derived cells that cannot otherwise be uncovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Revah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Felicity Gore
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kevin W Kelley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jimena Andersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Noriaki Sakai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Min-Yin Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Fikri Birey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nay L Saw
- Stanford Behavioral and Functional Neuroscience Laboratory, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Samuel W Baker
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neal D Amin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shravanti Kulkarni
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rachana Mudipalli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bianxiao Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Seiji Nishino
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gerald A Grant
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Juliet K Knowles
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mehrdad Shamloo
- Stanford Behavioral and Functional Neuroscience Laboratory, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John R Huguenard
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sergiu P Pașca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Brain Organogenesis, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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30
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Kirouac GJ, Li S, Li S. Convergence of monosynaptic inputs from neurons in the brainstem and forebrain on parabrachial neurons that project to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2409-2437. [PMID: 35838792 PMCID: PMC9418111 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02534-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) projects to areas of the forebrain involved in regulating behavior. Homeostatic challenges and salient cues activate the PVT and evidence shows that the PVT regulates appetitive and aversive responses. The brainstem is a source of afferents to the PVT and the present study was done to determine if the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) is a relay for inputs to the PVT. Retrograde tracing experiments with cholera toxin B (CTB) demonstrate that the LPB contains more PVT projecting neurons than other regions of the brainstem including the catecholamine cell groups. The hypothesis that the LPB is a relay for signals to the PVT was assessed using an intersectional monosynaptic rabies tracing approach. Sources of inputs to LPB included the reticular formation; periaqueductal gray (PAG); nucleus cuneiformis; and superior and inferior colliculi. Distinctive clusters of input cells to LPB-PVT projecting neurons were also found in the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and the lateral central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). Anterograde viral tracing demonstrates that LPB-PVT neurons densely innervate all regions of the PVT in addition to providing collateral innervation to the preoptic area, lateral hypothalamus, zona incerta and PAG but not the BSTDL and CeL. The paper discusses the anatomical evidence that suggests that the PVT is part of a network of interconnected neurons involved in arousal, homeostasis, and the regulation of behavioral states with forebrain regions potentially providing descending modulation or gating of signals relayed from the LPB to the PVT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert J Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada. .,Departments of Psychiatry and Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada.
| | - Sa Li
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada
| | - Shuanghong Li
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada
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31
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Lan C, Liu C, Li K, Zhao Z, Yang J, Ma Y, Scheele D, Yao S, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Oxytocinergic Modulation of Stress-Associated Amygdala-Hippocampus Pathways in Humans Is Mediated by Serotonergic Mechanisms. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25:807-817. [PMID: 35723242 PMCID: PMC9593216 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may exert anxiolytic and stress-reducing actions via modulatory effects on amygdala circuits. Animal models and initial findings in humans suggest that some of these effects are mediated by interactions with other neurotransmitter systems, in particular the serotonin (5-HT) system. Against this background, the present pharmacological resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study aimed to determine whether effects of OXT on stress-associated amygdala intrinsic networks are mediated by 5-HT. METHODS We employed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel-group, pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging resting-state experiment with 4 treatment groups in n = 112 healthy male participants. Participants underwent a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling via acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) or a corresponding placebo-control protocol before the administration of intranasal OXT (24 IU) or placebo intranasal spray. RESULTS OXT and 5-HT modulation exerted interactive effects on the coupling of the left amygdala with the ipsilateral hippocampus and adjacent midbrain. OXT increased intrinsic coupling in this pathway, whereas this effect of OXT was significantly attenuated during transiently decreased central serotonergic signaling induced via acute tryptophan depletion. In the absence of OXT or 5-HT modulation, this pathway showed a trend for an association with self-reported stress perception in everyday life. No interactive effects were observed for the right amygdala. CONCLUSIONS Together, the findings provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that the effects of OXT on stress-associated amygdala-hippocampal-midbrain pathways are critically mediated by the 5-HT system in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China,School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiying Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University HospitalBonn, Bonn, Germany,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Correspondence: Benjamin Becker, PhD, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Xiyuan Avenue 2006, 611731 Chengdu, China ()
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32
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Heshmati M, Bruchas MR. Historical and Modern Evidence for the Role of Reward Circuitry in Emergence. Anesthesiology 2022; 136:997-1014. [PMID: 35362070 PMCID: PMC9467375 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000004148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence supports a role for brain reward circuitry in modulating arousal along with emergence from anesthesia. Emergence remains an important frontier for investigation, since no drug exists in clinical practice to initiate rapid and smooth emergence. This review discusses clinical and preclinical evidence indicating a role for two brain regions classically considered integral components of the mesolimbic brain reward circuitry, the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens, in emergence from propofol and volatile anesthesia. Then there is a description of modern systems neuroscience approaches to neural circuit investigations that will help span the large gap between preclinical and clinical investigation with the shared aim of developing therapies to promote rapid emergence without agitation or delirium. This article proposes that neuroscientists include models of whole-brain network activity in future studies to inform the translational value of preclinical investigations and foster productive dialogues with clinician anesthesiologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitra Heshmati
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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33
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Mu R, Tang S, Han X, Wang H, Yuan D, Zhao J, Long Y, Hong H. A cholinergic medial septum input to medial habenula mediates generalization formation and extinction of visual aversion. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110882. [PMID: 35649349 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110882] [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: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Generalization of visual aversion is a critical function of the brain that supports survival, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We establish a rapid generalization procedure for inducing visual aversion by dynamic stripe images. By using fiber photometry, apoptosis, chemogenetic and optogenetic techniques, and behavioral tests, we find that decreased cholinergic neurons' activity in the medial septum (MS) leads to generalization loss of visual aversion. Strikingly, we identify a projection from MS cholinergic neurons to the medial habenula (MHb) and find that inhibition of the MS→MHb cholinergic circuit disrupts aversion-generalization formation while its continuous activation disrupts subsequent extinction. Further studies show that MS→MHb cholinergic projections modulate the generalization of visual aversion possibly via M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) of downstream neurons coreleasing glutamate and acetylcholine. These findings reveal that the MS→MHb cholinergic circuit is a critical node in aversion-generalization formation and extinction and potentially provides insight into the pathogenesis of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghao Mu
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Susu Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiaomeng Han
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Danhua Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Jiajia Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Yan Long
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
| | - Hao Hong
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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34
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Shen L, Zhang GW, Tao C, Seo MB, Zhang NK, Huang JJ, Zhang LI, Tao HW. A bottom-up reward pathway mediated by somatostatin neurons in the medial septum complex underlying appetitive learning. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1194. [PMID: 35256596 PMCID: PMC8901785 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28854-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Valence detection and processing are essential for the survival of animals and their life quality in complex environments. Neural circuits underlying the transformation of external sensory signals into positive valence coding to generate appropriate behavioral responses remain not well-studied. Here, we report that somatostatin (SOM) subtype of GABAergic neurons in the mouse medial septum complex (MS), but not parvalbumin subtype or glutamatergic neurons, specifically encode reward signals and positive valence. Through an ascending pathway from the nucleus of solitary tract and then parabrachial nucleus, the MS SOM neurons receive rewarding taste signals and suppress the lateral habenula. They contribute essentially to appetitive associative learning via their projections to the lateral habenula: learning enhances their responses to reward-predictive sensory cues, and suppressing their responses to either conditioned or unconditioned stimulus impairs acquisition of reward learning. Thus, MS serves as a critical hub for transforming bottom-up sensory signals to mediate appetitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Michelle B Seo
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Nicole K Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Graduate Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. .,Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. .,Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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35
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Ogata K, Kadono F, Hirai Y, Inoue KI, Takada M, Karube F, Fujiyama F. Conservation of the Direct and Indirect Pathway Dichotomy in Mouse Caudal Striatum With Uneven Distribution of Dopamine Receptor D1- and D2-Expressing Neurons. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:809446. [PMID: 35185482 PMCID: PMC8854186 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.809446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The striatum is one of the key nuclei for adequate control of voluntary behaviors and reinforcement learning. Two striatal projection neuron types, expressing either dopamine receptor D1 (D1R) or dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) constitute two independent output routes: the direct or indirect pathways, respectively. These pathways co-work in balance to achieve coordinated behavior. Two projection neuron types are equivalently intermingled in most striatal space. However, recent studies revealed two atypical zones in the caudal striatum: the zone in which D1R-neurons are the minor population (D1R-poor zone) and that in which D2R-neurons are the minority (D2R-poor zone). It remains obscure as to whether these imbalanced zones have similar properties on axonal projections and electrophysiology compared to other striatal regions. Based on morphological experiments in mice using immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, and neural tracing, here, we revealed that the poor zones densely projected to the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars lateralis, with a few collaterals in substantia nigra pars reticulata and compacta. Similar to that in other striatal regions, D1R-neurons were the direct pathway neurons. We also showed that the membrane properties of projection neurons in the poor zones were largely similar to those in the conventional striatum using in vitro electrophysiological recording. In addition, the poor zones existed irrespective of the age or sex of mice. We also identified the poor zones in the common marmoset as well as other rodents. These results suggest that the poor zones in the caudal striatum follow the conventional projection patterns irrespective of the imbalanced distribution of projection neurons. The poor zones could be an innate structure and common in mammals. The unique striatal zones possessing highly restricted projections could relate to functions different from those of motor-related striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumiko Ogata
- Laboratory of Neural Circuitry, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Japan
| | - Fuko Kadono
- Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Hirai
- Laboratory of Neural Circuitry, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Japan
- Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Fuyuki Karube
- Laboratory of Neural Circuitry, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Japan
- Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Fuyuki Karube,
| | - Fumino Fujiyama
- Laboratory of Neural Circuitry, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Japan
- Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Fumino Fujiyama,
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36
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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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37
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Zeng N, Cutts EJ, Lopez CB, Kaur S, Duran M, Virkus SA, Hardaway JA. Anatomical and Functional Characterization of Central Amygdala Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Expressing Neurons. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:724030. [PMID: 35002645 PMCID: PMC8739476 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.724030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) are highly expressed in the brain and are responsible for mediating the acute anorexigenic actions of widely prescribed GLP-1R agonists. Neurobiological efforts to localize the hypophagic effects of GLP-1R agonists in the brain have mainly focused on the hypothalamus and hindbrain. In this study, we performed a deep anatomical and neurophysiological characterization of GLP-1Rs in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). At an mRNA level, we found that Glp1r is diffusely coexpressed in known CeA subpopulations like protein kinase c δ (Prkcd), somatostatin (Sst), or tachykinin2 (Tac2). At a cellular level, we used Glp1r-Cre mice and viral Cre-dependent tracing to map the anatomical positions of GLP-1R cells across the rostral-caudal axis of the CeA and in CeA subdivisions. We found that Glp1rCeA cells are highly enriched in the medial subdivision of the CeA (CeM). Using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we found that Glp1rCeA neurons are characterized by the presence of Ih-like currents and resemble a low threshold bursting neuronal subtype in response to hyperpolarizing and depolarizing current injections. We observed sex differences in the magnitude of Ih-like currents and membrane capacitance. At rest, we observed that nearly half of Glp1rCeA neurons are spontaneously active. We observed that active and inactive neurons display significant differences in excitability even when normalized to an identical holding potential. Our data are the first to deeply characterize the pattern of Glp1r in the CeA and study the neurophysiological characteristics of CeA neurons expressing Glp1r. Future studies leveraging these data will be important to understanding the impact of GLP-1R agonists on feeding and motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningxiang Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Elam J Cutts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Christian B Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Simran Kaur
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Miguel Duran
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Sonja A Virkus
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - J Andrew Hardaway
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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38
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Hollon NG, Williams EW, Howard CD, Li H, Traut TI, Jin X. Nigrostriatal dopamine signals sequence-specific action-outcome prediction errors. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5350-5363.e5. [PMID: 34637751 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine has been suggested to encode cue-reward prediction errors during Pavlovian conditioning, signaling discrepancies between actual versus expected reward predicted by the cues.1-5 While this theory has been widely applied to reinforcement learning concerning instrumental actions, whether dopamine represents action-outcome prediction errors and how it controls sequential behavior remain largely unknown. The vast majority of previous studies examining dopamine responses primarily have used discrete reward-predictive stimuli,1-15 whether Pavlovian conditioned stimuli for which no action is required to earn reward or explicit discriminative stimuli that essentially instruct an animal how and when to respond for reward. Here, by training mice to perform optogenetic intracranial self-stimulation, we examined how self-initiated goal-directed behavior influences nigrostriatal dopamine transmission during single and sequential instrumental actions, in behavioral contexts with minimal overt changes in the animal's external environment. We found that dopamine release evoked by direct optogenetic stimulation was dramatically reduced when delivered as the consequence of the animal's own action, relative to non-contingent passive stimulation. This dopamine suppression generalized to food rewards was specific to the reinforced action, was temporally restricted to counteract the expected outcome, and exhibited sequence-selectivity consistent with hierarchical control of sequential behavior. These findings demonstrate that nigrostriatal dopamine signals sequence-specific prediction errors in action-outcome associations, with fundamental implications for reinforcement learning and instrumental behavior in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick G Hollon
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Elora W Williams
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Christopher D Howard
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hao Li
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Tavish I Traut
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Motor Control and Disease, Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China.
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39
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Roseboom PH, Mueller SAL, Oler JA, Fox AS, Riedel MK, Elam VR, Olsen ME, Gomez JL, Boehm MA, DiFilippo AH, Christian BT, Michaelides M, Kalin NH. Evidence in primates supporting the use of chemogenetics for the treatment of human refractory neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Ther 2021; 29:3484-3497. [PMID: 33895327 PMCID: PMC8636156 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-human primate (NHP) models are essential for developing and translating new treatments that target neural circuit dysfunction underlying human psychopathology. As a proof-of-concept for treating neuropsychiatric disorders, we used a NHP model of pathological anxiety to investigate the feasibility of decreasing anxiety by chemogenetically (DREADDs [designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs]) reducing amygdala neuronal activity. Intraoperative MRI surgery was used to infect dorsal amygdala neurons with AAV5-hSyn-HA-hM4Di in young rhesus monkeys. In vivo microPET studies with [11C]-deschloroclozapine and postmortem autoradiography with [3H]-clozapine demonstrated selective hM4Di binding in the amygdala, and neuronal expression of hM4Di was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. Additionally, because of its high affinity for DREADDs, and its approved use in humans, we developed an individualized, low-dose clozapine administration strategy to induce DREADD-mediated amygdala inhibition. Compared to controls, clozapine selectively decreased anxiety-related freezing behavior in the human intruder paradigm in hM4Di-expressing monkeys, while coo vocalizations and locomotion were unaffected. These results are an important step in establishing chemogenetic strategies for patients with refractory neuropsychiatric disorders in which amygdala alterations are central to disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA.
| | - Sascha A L Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Marissa K Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Victoria R Elam
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Miles E Olsen
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Juan L Gomez
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Matthew A Boehm
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alexandra H DiFilippo
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Bradley T Christian
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Michael Michaelides
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
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Beier KT. The Serendipity of Viral Trans-Neuronal Specificity: More Than Meets the Eye. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:720807. [PMID: 34671244 PMCID: PMC8521040 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.720807] [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: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Trans-neuronal viruses are frequently used as neuroanatomical tools for mapping neuronal circuits. Specifically, recombinant one-step rabies viruses (RABV) have been instrumental in the widespread application of viral circuit mapping, as these viruses have enabled labs to map the direct inputs onto defined cell populations. Within the neuroscience community, it is widely believed that RABV spreads directly between neurons via synaptic connections, a hypothesis based principally on two observations. First, the virus labels neurons in a pattern consistent with known anatomical connectivity. Second, few glial cells appear to be infected following RABV injections, despite the fact that glial cells are abundant in the brain. However, there is no direct evidence that RABV can actually be transmitted through synaptic connections. Here we review the immunosubversive mechanisms that are critical to RABV’s success for infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS). These include interfering with and ultimately killing migratory T cells while maintaining levels of interferon (IFN) signaling in the brain parenchyma. Finally, we critically evaluate studies that support or are against synaptically-restricted RABV transmission and the implications of viral-host immune responses for RABV transmission in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Thomas Beier
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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41
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Ashby DM, Dias C, Aleksandrova LR, Lapish CC, Wang YT, Phillips AG. Disruption of Long-Term Depression Potentiates Latent Inhibition: Key Role for Central Nucleus of the Amygdala. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:580-591. [PMID: 33693669 PMCID: PMC8299826 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Latent inhibition (LI) reflects an adaptive form of learning impaired in certain forms of mental illness. Glutamate receptor activity is linked to LI, but the potential role of synaptic plasticity remains unspecified. METHODS Accordingly, the present study examined the possible role of long-term depression (LTD) in LI induced by prior exposure of rats to an auditory stimulus used subsequently as a conditional stimulus to signal a pending footshock. We employed 2 mechanistically distinct LTD inhibitors, the Tat-GluA23Y peptide that blocks endocytosis of the GluA2-containing glutamate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor, or the selective glutamate n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 2B antagonist, Ro25-6981, administered prior to the acquisition of 2-way conditioned avoidance with or without tone pre-exposure. RESULTS Systemic LTD blockade with the Tat-GluA23Y peptide strengthened the LI effect by further impairing acquisition of conditioned avoidance in conditional stimulus-preexposed rats compared with normal conditioning in non-preexposed controls. Systemic Ro25-6981 had no significant effects. Brain region-specific microinjections of the Tat-GluA23Y peptide into the nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex, or central or basolateral amygdala demonstrated that disruption of glutamate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor endocytosis in the central amygdala also potentiated the LI effect. CONCLUSIONS These data revealed a previously unknown role for central amygdala LTD in LI as a key mediator of cognitive flexibility required to respond to previously irrelevant stimuli that acquire significance through reinforcement. The findings may have relevance both for our mechanistic understanding of LI and its alteration in disease states such as schizophrenia, while further elucidating the role of LTD in learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donovan M Ashby
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carine Dias
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lily R Aleksandrova
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christopher C Lapish
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yu Tian Wang
- Department of Medicine, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Anthony G Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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42
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Samineni VK, Grajales-Reyes JG, Grajales-Reyes GE, Tycksen E, Copits BA, Pedersen C, Ankudey ES, Sackey JN, Sewell SB, Bruchas MR, Gereau RW. Cellular, circuit and transcriptional framework for modulation of itch in the central amygdala. eLife 2021; 10:68130. [PMID: 34032210 PMCID: PMC8172243 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is an unpleasant sensation that elicits robust scratching and aversive experience. However, the identity of the cells and neural circuits that organize this information remains elusive. Here, we show the necessity and sufficiency of chloroquine-activated neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) for both itch sensation and associated aversion. Further, we show that chloroquine-activated CeA neurons play important roles in itch-related comorbidities, including anxiety-like behaviors, but not in some aversive and appetitive behaviors previously ascribed to CeA neurons. RNA-sequencing of chloroquine-activated CeA neurons identified several differentially expressed genes as well as potential key signaling pathways in regulating pruritis. Finally, viral tracing experiments demonstrate that these neurons send projections to the ventral periaqueductal gray that are critical in modulation of itch. These findings reveal a cellular and circuit signature of CeA neurons orchestrating behavioral and affective responses to pruritus in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay K Samineni
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Jose G Grajales-Reyes
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Gary E Grajales-Reyes
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Eric Tycksen
- Genome Technology Access Center, Washington University School of MedicineSeattleUnited States
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Christian Pedersen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Edem S Ankudey
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Julian N Sackey
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Sienna B Sewell
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Departmentsof Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of MedicineSt.LouisUnited States
| | - Robert W Gereau
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Departmentsof Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of MedicineSt.LouisUnited States
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43
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Warlow SM, Berridge KC. Incentive motivation: 'wanting' roles of central amygdala circuitry. Behav Brain Res 2021; 411:113376. [PMID: 34023307 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) mediates positively-valenced reward motivation as well as negatively-valenced fear. Optogenetic or neurochemical stimulation of CeA circuitry can generate intense incentive motivation to pursue and consume a paired natural food, sex, or addictive drug reward, and even create maladaptive 'wanting what hurts' such as attraction to a shock rod. Evidence indicates CeA stimulations selectively amplify incentive motivation ('wanting') but not hedonic impact ('liking') of the same reward. Further, valence flips can occur for CeA contributions to motivational salience. That is, CeA stimulation can promote either incentive motivation or fearful motivation, even in the same individual, depending on situation. These findings may carry implications for understanding CeA roles in neuropsychiatric disorders involving aberrant motivational salience, ranging from addiction to paranoia and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley M Warlow
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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44
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Kong MS, Zweifel LS. Central amygdala circuits in valence and salience processing. Behav Brain Res 2021; 410:113355. [PMID: 33989728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral responses to environmental stimuli are dictated by the affective valence of the stimulus, good (positive valence) or bad (negative valence). These stimuli can innately elicit an affective response that promotes approach or avoidance behavior. In addition to innately valenced stimuli, valence can also be assigned to initially neutral stimuli through associative learning. A stimulus of a given valence can vary in salience depending on the strength of the stimulus, the underlying state of the animal, and the context of the stimulus presentation. Salience endows the stimulus with the ability to direct attention and elicit preparatory responses to mount an incentive-based motivated behavior. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has emerged as an early integration point for valence and salience detection to engage preparatory autonomic responses and behavioral posturing in response to both aversive and appetitive stimuli. There are numerous cell types in the CeA that are involved in valence and salience processing through a variety of connections, and we will review the recent progress that has been made in identifying these circuit elements and their roles in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Seon Kong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
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45
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Lerner TN, Holloway AL, Seiler JL. Dopamine, Updated: Reward Prediction Error and Beyond. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 67:123-130. [PMID: 33197709 PMCID: PMC8116345 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine neurons have been intensely studied for their roles in reinforcement learning. A dominant theory of how these neurons contribute to learning is through the encoding of a reward prediction error (RPE) signal. Recent advances in dopamine research have added nuance to RPE theory by incorporating the ideas of sensory prediction error, distributional encoding, and belief states. Further nuance is likely to be added shortly by convergent lines of research on dopamine neuron diversity. Finally, a major challenge is to reconcile RPE theory with other current theories of dopamine function to account for dopamine's role in movement, motivation, and goal-directed planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia N Lerner
- Feinberg School of Medicine and Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Ashley L Holloway
- Feinberg School of Medicine and Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jillian L Seiler
- Feinberg School of Medicine and Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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46
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Speranza L, di Porzio U, Viggiano D, de Donato A, Volpicelli F. Dopamine: The Neuromodulator of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity, Reward and Movement Control. Cells 2021; 10:735. [PMID: 33810328 PMCID: PMC8066851 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is a key neurotransmitter involved in multiple physiological functions including motor control, modulation of affective and emotional states, reward mechanisms, reinforcement of behavior, and selected higher cognitive functions. Dysfunction in dopaminergic transmission is recognized as a core alteration in several devastating neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and addiction. Here we will discuss the current insights on the role of DA in motor control and reward learning mechanisms and its involvement in the modulation of synaptic dynamics through different pathways. In particular, we will consider the role of DA as neuromodulator of two forms of synaptic plasticity, known as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in several cortical and subcortical areas. Finally, we will delineate how the effect of DA on dendritic spines places this molecule at the interface between the motor and the cognitive systems. Specifically, we will be focusing on PD, vascular dementia, and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Speranza
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Umberto di Porzio
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “Adriano Buzzati Traverso”, CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Viggiano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Genetic Research Institute “Gaetano Salvatore”, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, IT and Biogem S.c.a.r.l., 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy; (D.V.); (A.d.D.)
| | - Antonio de Donato
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Genetic Research Institute “Gaetano Salvatore”, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, IT and Biogem S.c.a.r.l., 83031 Ariano Irpino, Italy; (D.V.); (A.d.D.)
| | - Floriana Volpicelli
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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Guilherme EM, Gianlorenço ACL. The Effects of Intravermis Cerebellar Microinjections of Dopaminergic Agents in Motor Learning and Aversive Memory Acquisition in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:628357. [PMID: 33716682 PMCID: PMC7947320 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.628357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum receives dopaminergic innervation and expresses the five types of described dopaminergic receptors. The cerebellar function involves both motor movement and cognition, but the role of cerebellar dopaminergic system on these processes remain unclear. The present study explores the behavioral responses to intracerebellar microinjection of dopaminergic agents in motor and emotional memory. For this, naïve Swiss mice had their cerebellar vermis implanted with a guide canula, received a intravermis microinjection of Dopamine, D1-like antagonist SCH-23390 or D2-like antagonist Eticlopride, and underwent a behavioral analysis of motor learning (by a Rotarod and balance beam learning protocol) or aversive memory acquisition (by the inhibitory avoidance task). The mixed-effects analysis was used to evaluate groups performance, followed by Tukey’s post hoc when appropriated. In this study, Dopamine, SCH-23390 and Eticlopride at the doses used did not affected motor control and motor learning. In addition, the administration of Dopamine and SCH-233390 had no effects on emotional memory acquisition, but the animals that received the highest dose of Eticlopride had an improvement in aversive memory acquisition, shown by a suppression of its innate preference for the dark compartment of the inhibitory avoidance apparatus following an exposure to a foot shock. We propose that cerebellar dopaminergic D2 receptors seem to participate on the modulation of aversive memory processes, without influencing motor performance at the doses used in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn M Guilherme
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Physical Therapy, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Anna Carolyna L Gianlorenço
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Physical Therapy, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
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48
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Bender BN, Torregrossa MM. Dorsolateral striatum dopamine-dependent cocaine seeking is resistant to pavlovian cue extinction in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 182:108403. [PMID: 33197468 PMCID: PMC7740074 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Cue exposure therapy (CET) reduces craving induced by drug-associated cues in individuals with substance use disorders. A preclinical model of CET, cue extinction, similarly reduces cue-induced cocaine seeking in rodent self-administration models; however, those models may not capture the habitual or compulsive aspects of drug use. Thus, the effectiveness of cue extinction was tested in male and female rats trained to self-administer cocaine using second-order (SO) or fixed-ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement to facilitate dorsolateral striatum (DLS) dopamine-dependent or -independent response strategies, respectively. Cue extinction significantly reduced drug seeking in FR-trained rats, replicating prior results, but was ineffective in SO-trained rats. SO-trained rats also showed increased indices of glutamate signaling in the DLS relative to FR-trained rats, despite comparable levels of cocaine intake. Furthermore, in SO-trained rats, antagonism of AMPA receptors in the DLS rescued the efficacy of cue extinction to reduce drug seeking. Finally, the effectiveness of cue extinction was also revealed in SO-trained rats when they were taught to perform a new, non-habitual response for cocaine cue presentation. Overall, our findings indicate that habit-like drug seeking leads to plasticity in the DLS and behavior that is resistant to cue extinction, but that the effects of cue extinction are restored when DLS glutamatergic signaling is blocked. These results have implications for the effectiveness of clinical cue exposure therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke N Bender
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
| | - Mary M Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States.
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49
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Kargl D, Kaczanowska J, Ulonska S, Groessl F, Piszczek L, Lazovic J, Buehler K, Haubensak W. The amygdala instructs insular feedback for affective learning. eLife 2020; 9:60336. [PMID: 33216712 PMCID: PMC7679142 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Affective responses depend on assigning value to environmental predictors of threat or reward. Neuroanatomically, this affective value is encoded at both cortical and subcortical levels. However, the purpose of this distributed representation across functional hierarchies remains unclear. Using fMRI in mice, we mapped a discrete cortico-limbic loop between insular cortex (IC), central amygdala (CE), and nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM), which decomposes the affective value of a conditioned stimulus (CS) into its salience and valence components. In IC, learning integrated unconditioned stimulus (US)-evoked bodily states into CS valence. In turn, CS salience in the CE recruited these CS representations bottom-up via the cholinergic NBM. This way, the CE incorporated interoceptive feedback from IC to improve discrimination of CS valence. Consequently, opto-/chemogenetic uncoupling of hierarchical information flow disrupted affective learning and conditioned responding. Dysfunctional interactions in the IC↔CE/NBM network may underlie intolerance to uncertainty, observed in autism and related psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Kargl
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Joanna Kaczanowska
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Sophia Ulonska
- VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung Forschungs-GmbH (VRVis), Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Groessl
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukasz Piszczek
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Jelena Lazovic
- Preclinical Imaging Facility (pcIMAG), Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF), Vienna, Austria
| | - Katja Buehler
- VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung Forschungs-GmbH (VRVis), Vienna, Austria
| | - Wulf Haubensak
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
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50
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A Central Amygdala-Globus Pallidus Circuit Conveys Unconditioned Stimulus-Related Information and Controls Fear Learning. J Neurosci 2020; 40:9043-9054. [PMID: 33067362 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2090-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is critically involved in a range of adaptive behaviors, including defensive behaviors. Neurons in the CeA send long-range projections to a number of extra-amygdala targets, but the functions of these projections remain elusive. Here, we report that a previously neglected CeA-to-globus pallidus external segment (GPe) circuit plays an essential role in classical fear conditioning. By anatomic tracing, in situ hybridization and channelrhodopsin (ChR2)-assisted circuit mapping in both male and female mice, we found that a subset of CeA neurons send projections to the GPe, and the majority of these GPe-projecting CeA neurons express the neuropeptide somatostatin. Notably, chronic inhibition of GPe-projecting CeA neurons with the tetanus toxin light chain (TeLC) completely blocks auditory fear conditioning. In vivo fiber photometry revealed that these neurons are selectively excited by the unconditioned stimulus (US) during fear conditioning. Furthermore, transient optogenetic inactivation or activation of these neurons selectively during US presentation impairs or promotes, respectively, fear learning. Our results suggest that a major function of GPe-projecting CeA neurons is to represent and convey US-related information through the CeA-GPe circuit, thereby regulating learning in fear conditioning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The central amygdala (CeA) has been implicated in the establishment of defensive behaviors toward threats, but the underlying circuit mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we found that a subpopulation of neurons in the CeA, which are mainly those that express the neuropeptide somatostatin, send projections to the globus pallidus external segment (GPe), and this CeA-GPe circuit conveys unconditioned stimulus (US)-related information during classical fear conditioning, thereby having an indispensable role in learning. Our results reveal a previously unknown circuit mechanism for fear learning.
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