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Briones-Vidal MG, Reyes-García SE, Escobar ML. Neurotrophin-3 into the insular cortex strengthens conditioned taste aversion memory. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114857. [PMID: 38211776 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114857] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Memory consolidation is an essential process of long-term memory formation. Neurotrophins have been suggested as key regulators of activity dependent changes in the synaptic efficacy and morphology, which are considered the downstream mechanisms of memory consolidation. The neurotrophin 3 (NT-3), a member of the neurotrophin family, and its high affinity receptor TrkC, are widely expressed in the insular cortex (IC), a region with a critical role in the consolidation of the conditioned taste aversion (CTA) paradigm, in which an animal associates a novel taste with nausea. Nevertheless, the role of this neurotrophin in the cognitive processes that the IC mediates remains unexamined. To answer whether NT-3 is involved in memory consolidation at the IC, adult male Wistar rats were administered with NT-3 or NT-3 in combination with the Trk receptors inhibitor K252a into the IC, immediately after CTA acquisition under two different conditions: a strong-CTA (0.2 M lithium chloride i.p.) or a weak-CTA (0.1 M lithium chloride i.p.). Our results show that NT-3 strengthens the memory trace of CTA, transforming a weak conditioning into a strong one, in a Trk-dependent manner. The present evidence suggests that NT-3 has a key role in the consolidation process of an aversive memory in a neocortical region.
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Affiliation(s)
- María G Briones-Vidal
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Salma E Reyes-García
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 04510, Mexico.
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Rodríguez-Durán LF, López-Ibarra DL, Herrera-Xithe G, Bermúdez-Rattoni F, Osorio-Gómez D, Escobar ML. Synergistic photoactivation of VTA-catecholaminergic and BLA-glutamatergic projections induces long-term potentiation in the insular cortex. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107845. [PMID: 37865264 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The presentation of novel stimuli induces a reliable dopamine release in the insular cortex (IC) from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The novel stimuli could be associated with motivational and emotional signals induced by cortical glutamate release from the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Dopamine and glutamate are essential for acquiring and maintaining behavioral tasks, including visual and taste recognition memories. In this study, we hypothesize that the simultaneous activation of dopaminergic and glutamatergic projections to the neocortex can underlie synaptic plasticity. High-frequency stimulation of the BLA-IC circuit has demonstrated a reliable long-term potentiation (LTP), a widely acknowledged synaptic plasticity that underlies memory consolidation. Therefore, the concurrent optogenetic stimulation of the insula's glutamatergic and dopaminergic terminal fibers would induce reliable LTP. Our results confirmed that combined photostimulation of the VTA and BLA projections to the IC induces a slow-onset LTP. We also found that optogenetically-induced LTP in the IC relies on both glutamatergic NMDA receptors and dopaminergic D1/D5 receptors, suggesting that the combined effects of these neurotransmitters can trigger synaptic plasticity in the neocortex. Overall, our findings provide compelling evidence supporting the essential role of both dopaminergic and glutamatergic projections in modulating synaptic plasticity within the IC. Furthermore, our results suggest that the synergistic actions of these projections have a pivotal influence on the formation of motivational memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Rodríguez-Durán
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Diana L López-Ibarra
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Herrera-Xithe
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Osorio-Gómez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Martha L Escobar
- Facultad de Psicología, UNAM, División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico.
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Gutiérrez-Vera B, Reyes-García SE, Escobar ML. Brief environmental enrichment elicits metaplasticity on the insular cortex in vivo and reduces the strength of conditioned taste aversion. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107840. [PMID: 37805119 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107840] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is known to improve memory and cognition and modulate the impact of aversive stimuli in animals, promoting the development of resilience to stressful situations. Likewise, it is known that EE can modulate synaptic plasticity as is the case of long-term potentiation (LTP). These findings have been described initially in ex vivo preparations, suggesting that the effects of EE are the result of an early modification of the synaptic excitability and transmission. In this regard, it is known that metaplasticity refers to the persistent modification, by previous activity, in the ability to induce synaptic plasticity. Our previous studies have shown that prior training in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) prevents the subsequent induction of LTP in the projection from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (Bla) to the insular cortex (IC) in vivo. In addition, we have shown that CTA extinction allows the induction but not the maintenance of IC-LTP of the Bla-IC pathway. Recently, we also showed that prior exposure to environmental enrichment for three weeks reduces the strength of CTA, restoring the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the IC. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of brief exposure to an enriched environment on the strength of aversive memory, as well as on the in vivo IC-LTP. To do so, adult rats were exposed for seven days to an EE, either before CTA training or LTP induction in the Bla-IC pathway. Our results demonstrate that a seven-day exposure to an enriched environment attenuates the aversive response to a strong CTA and allows the induction but not the maintenance of LTP in the insular cortex. These findings provide evidence that metaplastic regulation in a neocortical region takes part in the mechanisms through which brief exposure to enriched environments attenuates an aversive response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Gutiérrez-Vera
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Salma E Reyes-García
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico.
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Study on the mechanism of visual aging in cats' primary visual cortex based on BDNF-TrkB signal pathway. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10576. [PMID: 35732706 PMCID: PMC9217805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14918-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and specific receptor tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) in the primary visual cortex of young and old cats, especially to reveal the age-related differences in the mediating mechanism of BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway in cats' visual cortex and their possible effects on synaptic plasticity, Nissl staining was used to display neurons in each layer of cats' primary visual cortex, and immunohistochemical ABC method was used to label BDNF and TrkB immunopositive cells in each layer of cats' primary visual cortex. The BDNF and TrkB receptor immunoreactive neurons and non-neurons were observed and photographed. Their density and immunoreactive intensity were measured. Results showed that BDNF and TrkB were widely expressed in all layers of visual cortex in young and old cats. Compared with the young group, the density and intensity of BDNF and TrkB positive cells in each layer of primary visual cortex in the old group decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The findings indicate that the expression levels of BDNF and TrkB in the primary visual cortex of cats decrease with age, suggesting that the change of BDNF-TrkB signal pathway caused by the weakening of brain-derived neurotrophic factor activity may be one of the important reasons for the decline of visual function.
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Reyes-García SE, Gutiérrez-Vera B, Escobar ML. Calcineurin requirement for in vivo insular cortex LTD and CTA-extinction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 193:107647. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gutiérrez-Vera B, Rivera-Olvera A, Escobar ML. ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ATTENUATES CONDITIONED TASTE AVERSION THROUGH THE RESTORATION OF BDNF LEVELS IN THE INSULAR CORTEX. Behav Brain Res 2022; 430:113947. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Urrieta E, Escobar ML. Metaplastic regulation of neocortical long-term depression in vivo is sensitive to distinct phases of conditioned taste aversion. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 182:107449. [PMID: 33915300 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Metaplasticity refers to the persistent modification, by previous activity, in the ability to induce synaptic plasticity. Accumulated evidence has proposed that metaplasticity contributes to network function and cognitive processes such as learning and memory. In this regard, it has been observed that training in several behavioral tasks modifies the possibility to induce subsequent synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). For instance, our previous studies have shown that conditioned taste aversion (CTA) training prevents the induction of in vivo LTP in the projection from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala to the insular cortex (BLA-IC). Likewise, we reported that extinction of CTA allows induction but not maintenance of LTP in the same pathway. Besides, we showed that it is possible to express in vivo low-frequency stimulation LTD in the BLA-IC projection and that its induction prior to CTA training facilitates the extinction of this task. However, until now, little is known about the participation of LTD on metaplastic processes. The present study aimed to analyze whether CTA training modifies the expression of in vivo LTD in the BLA-IC projection. To do so, animals received low-frequency stimulation to induce IC-LTD 48 h after CTA training. Our results show that CTA training occludes the subsequent induction of LTD in the BLA-IC pathway in a retrieval-dependent manner. These findings reveal that CTA elicits a metaplastic regulation of long-lasting changes in the IC synaptic strength, as well as that specific phases of learning differentially take part in adjusting the expression of synaptic plasticity in neocortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Urrieta
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico.
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Toyoda H, Katagiri A, Kato T, Sato H. Intranasal Administration of Rotenone Reduces GABAergic Inhibition in the Mouse Insular Cortex Leading to Impairment of LTD and Conditioned Taste Aversion Memory. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010259. [PMID: 33383859 PMCID: PMC7795793 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The pesticide rotenone inhibits mitochondrial complex I and is thought to cause neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and cognitive disorders. However, little is known about the effects of rotenone on conditioned taste aversion memory. In the present study, we investigated whether intranasal administration of rotenone affects conditioned taste aversion memory in mice. We also examined how the intranasal administration of rotenone modulates synaptic transmission and plasticity in layer V pyramidal neurons of the mouse insular cortex that is critical for conditioned taste aversion memory. We found that the intranasal administration of rotenone impaired conditioned taste aversion memory to bitter taste. Regarding its cellular mechanisms, long-term depression (LTD) but not long-term potentiation (LTP) was impaired in rotenone-treated mice. Furthermore, spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents and tonic GABA currents were decreased in layer V pyramidal neurons of rotenone-treated mice compared to the control mice. The impaired LTD observed in pyramidal neurons of rotenone-treated mice was restored by a GABAA receptor agonist muscimol. These results suggest that intranasal administration of rotenone decreases GABAergic synaptic transmission in layer V pyramidal neurons of the mouse insular cortex, the result of which leads to impairment of LTD and conditioned taste aversion memory.
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Molero-Chamizo A, Rivera-Urbina GN. Taste Processing: Insights from Animal Models. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25143112. [PMID: 32650432 PMCID: PMC7397205 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste processing is an adaptive mechanism involving complex physiological, motivational and cognitive processes. Animal models have provided relevant data about the neuroanatomical and neurobiological components of taste processing. From these models, two important domains of taste responses are described in this review. The first part focuses on the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological bases of olfactory and taste processing. The second part describes the biological and behavioral characteristics of taste learning, with an emphasis on conditioned taste aversion as a key process for the survival and health of many species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Molero-Chamizo
- Department of Psychology, Psychobiology Area, University of Huelva, Campus El Carmen, 21071 Huelva, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-959-21-84-78
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Extinction of aversive taste memory homeostatically prevents the maintenance of in vivo insular cortex LTP: Calcineurin participation. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 154:54-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Juárez-Muñoz Y, Ramos-Languren LE, Escobar ML. CaMKII Requirement for in Vivo Insular Cortex LTP Maintenance and CTA Memory Persistence. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:822. [PMID: 29184500 PMCID: PMC5694558 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium-calmodulin/dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays an essential role in LTP induction, but since it has the capacity to remain persistently activated even after the decay of external stimuli it has been proposed that it can also be necessary for LTP maintenance and therefore for memory persistence. It has been shown that basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (Bla) stimulation induces long-term potentiation (LTP) in the insular cortex (IC), a neocortical region implicated in the acquisition and retention of conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Our previous studies have demonstrated that induction of LTP in the Bla-IC pathway before CTA training increased the retention of this task. Although it is known that IC-LTP induction and CTA consolidation share similar molecular mechanisms, little is known about the molecular actors that underlie their maintenance. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of CaMKII in the maintenance of in vivo Bla-IC LTP as well as in the persistence of CTA long-term memory (LTM). Our results show that acute microinfusion of myr-CaMKIINtide, a selective inhibitor of CaMKII, in the IC of adult rats during the late-phase of in vivo Bla-IC LTP blocked its maintenance. Moreover, the intracortical inhibition of CaMKII 24 h after CTA acquisition impairs CTA-LTM persistence. Together these results indicate that CaMKII is a central key component for the maintenance of neocortical synaptic plasticity as well as for persistence of CTA-LTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yectivani Juárez-Muñoz
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura E Ramos-Languren
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
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Molero-Chamizo A, Rivera-Urbina GN. Effects of lesions in different nuclei of the amygdala on conditioned taste aversion. Exp Brain Res 2017; 235:3517-3526. [PMID: 28861596 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-017-5078-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is an adaptive learning that depends on brain mechanisms not completely identified. The amygdala is one of the structures that make up these mechanisms, but the involvement of its nuclei in the acquisition of CTA is unclear. Lesion studies suggest that the basolateral complex of the amygdala, including the basolateral and lateral amygdala, could be involved in CTA. The central amygdala has also been considered as an important nucleus for the acquisition of CTA in some studies. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of lesions of the basolateral complex of the amygdala on the acquisition of CTA has not been directly compared with the effect of lesions of the central and medial nuclei of the amygdala. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of lesions of different nuclei of the amygdala (the central and medial amygdala and the basolateral complex) on the acquisition of taste aversion in male Wistar rats. The results indicate that lesions of the basolateral complex of the amygdala reduce the magnitude of the CTA when compared with lesions of the other nuclei and with animals without lesions. These findings suggest that the involvement of the amygdala in the acquisition of CTA seems to depend particularly on the integrity of the basolateral complex of the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Molero-Chamizo
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Granada, Campus Cartuja 18071, Granada, Spain. .,Department of Psychology. Psychobiology Area, University of Huelva, Campus El Carmen, 21071, Huelva, Spain.
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Rodríguez-Durán LF, Martínez-Moreno A, Escobar ML. Bidirectional modulation of taste aversion extinction by insular cortex LTP and LTD. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 142:85-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Molero-Chamizo A, Nathzidy Rivera-Urbina G. Molecular mechanisms involved in taste learning and memory. AIMS MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.3934/molsci.2017.4.389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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