1
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Arora I, Mal P, Arora P, Paul A, Kumar M. GABAergic implications in anxiety and related disorders. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 724:150218. [PMID: 38865810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150218] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that anxiety disorders arise from an imbalance in the functioning of brain circuits that govern the modulation of emotional responses to possibly threatening stimuli. The circuits under consideration in this context include the amygdala's bottom-up activity, which signifies the existence of stimuli that may be seen as dangerous. Moreover, these circuits encompass top-down regulatory processes that originate in the prefrontal cortex, facilitating the communication of the emotional significance associated with the inputs. Diverse databases (e.g., Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched for literature using a combination of different terms e.g., "anxiety", "stress", "neuroanatomy", and "neural circuits", etc. A decrease in GABAergic activity is present in both anxiety disorders and severe depression. Research on cerebral functional imaging in depressive individuals has shown reduced levels of GABA within the cortical regions. Additionally, animal studies demonstrated that a reduction in the expression of GABAA/B receptors results in a behavioral pattern resembling anxiety. The amygdala consists of inhibitory networks composed of GABAergic interneurons, responsible for modulating anxiety responses in both normal and pathological conditions. The GABAA receptor has allosteric sites (e.g., α/γ, γ/β, and α/β) which enable regulation of neuronal inhibition in the amygdala. These sites serve as molecular targets for anxiolytic medications such as benzodiazepine and barbiturates. Alterations in the levels of naturally occurring regulators of these allosteric sites, along with alterations to the composition of the GABAA receptor subunits, could potentially act as mechanisms via which the extent of neuronal inhibition is diminished in pathological anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indu Arora
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Pankaj Mal
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Poonam Arora
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Anushka Paul
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
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2
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Huang W, Cano JC, Fénelon K. Deciphering the role of brainstem glycinergic neurons during startle and prepulse inhibition. Brain Res 2024; 1836:148938. [PMID: 38615924 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148938] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle response, a key measure of sensorimotor gating, diminishes with age and is impaired in various neurological conditions. While PPI deficits are often associated with cognitive impairments, their reversal is routinely used in experimental systems for antipsychotic drug screening. Yet, the cellular and circuit-level mechanisms of PPI remain unclear, even under non-pathological conditions. We recently showed that brainstem neurons located in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC) expressing the glycine transporter type 2 (GlyT2±) receive inputs from the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and contribute to PPI but via an uncharted pathway. Here, using tract-tracing, immunohistochemistry and in vitro optogenetic manipulations coupled to field electrophysiological recordings, we reveal the neuroanatomical distribution of GlyT2± PnC neurons and PnC-projecting CeA glutamatergic neurons and we provide mechanistic insights on how these glutamatergic inputs suppress auditory neurotransmission in PnC sections. Additionally, in vivo experiments using GlyT2-Cre mice confirm that optogenetic activation of GlyT2± PnC neurons enhances PPI and is sufficient to induce PPI in young mice, emphasizing their role. However, in older mice, PPI decline is not further influenced by inhibiting GlyT2± neurons. This study highlights the importance of GlyT2± PnC neurons in PPI and underscores their diminished activity in age-related PPI decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyun Huang
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Life Science Laboratories, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Jose C Cano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, 79912, USA
| | - Karine Fénelon
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Life Science Laboratories, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA.
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3
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Hughes DN, Klein MH, Walder-Christensen KK, Thomas GE, Grossman Y, Waters D, Matthews AE, Carson WE, Filali Y, Tsyglakova M, Fink A, Gallagher NM, Perez-Balaguer M, McClung CA, Zarate JM, Hultman RC, Mague SD, Carlson DE, Dzirasa K. A widespread electrical brain network encodes anxiety in health and depressive states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600900. [PMID: 38979139 PMCID: PMC11230447 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
In rodents, anxiety is charactered by heightened vigilance during low-threat and uncertain situations. Though activity in the frontal cortex and limbic system are fundamental to supporting this internal state, the underlying network architecture that integrates activity across brain regions to encode anxiety across animals and paradigms remains unclear. Here, we utilize parallel electrical recordings in freely behaving mice, translational paradigms known to induce anxiety, and machine learning to discover a multi-region network that encodes the anxious brain-state. The network is composed of circuits widely implicated in anxiety behavior, it generalizes across many behavioral contexts that induce anxiety, and it fails to encode multiple behavioral contexts that do not. Strikingly, the activity of this network is also principally altered in two mouse models of depression. Thus, we establish a network-level process whereby the brain encodes anxiety in health and disease.
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4
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Demaestri C, Pisciotta M, Altunkeser N, Berry G, Hyland H, Breton J, Darling A, Williams B, Bath KG. Central amygdala CRF+ neurons promote heightened threat reactivity following early life adversity in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5522. [PMID: 38951506 PMCID: PMC11217353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49828-3] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Failure to appropriately predict and titrate reactivity to threat is a core feature of fear and anxiety-related disorders and is common following early life adversity (ELA). A population of neurons in the lateral central amygdala (CeAL) expressing corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) have been proposed to be key in processing threat of different intensities to mediate active fear expression. Here, we use in vivo fiber photometry to show that ELA results in sex-specific changes in the activity of CeAL CRF+ neurons, yielding divergent mechanisms underlying the augmented startle in ELA mice, a translationally relevant behavior indicative of heightened threat reactivity and hypervigilance. Further, chemogenic inhibition of CeAL CRF+ neurons selectively diminishes startle and produces a long-lasting suppression of threat reactivity. These findings identify a mechanism for sex-differences in susceptibility for anxiety following ELA and have broad implications for understanding the neural circuitry that encodes and gates the behavioral expression of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Margaux Pisciotta
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naira Altunkeser
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Georgia Berry
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Hyland
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jocelyn Breton
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Darling
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brenna Williams
- Doctoral Program in Cellular and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Zangen E, Hadar S, Lawrence C, Obeid M, Rasras H, Hanzin E, Aslan O, Zur E, Schulcz N, Cohen-Hatab D, Samama Y, Nir S, Li Y, Dobrotvorskia I, Sabbah S. Prefrontal cortex neurons encode ambient light intensity differentially across regions and layers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5501. [PMID: 38951486 PMCID: PMC11217280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49794-w] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
While light can affect emotional and cognitive processes of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), no light-encoding was hitherto identified in this region. Here, extracellular recordings in awake mice revealed that over half of studied mPFC neurons showed photosensitivity, that was diminished by inhibition of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), or of the upstream thalamic perihabenular nucleus (PHb). In 15% of mPFC photosensitive neurons, firing rate changed monotonically along light-intensity steps and gradients. These light-intensity-encoding neurons comprised four types, two enhancing and two suppressing their firing rate with increased light intensity. Similar types were identified in the PHb, where they exhibited shorter latency and increased sensitivity. Light suppressed prelimbic activity but boosted infralimbic activity, mirroring the regions' contrasting roles in fear-conditioning, drug-seeking, and anxiety. We posit that prefrontal photosensitivity represents a substrate of light-susceptible, mPFC-mediated functions, which could be ultimately studied as a therapeutical target in psychiatric and addiction disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyashiv Zangen
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Shira Hadar
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Christopher Lawrence
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Mustafa Obeid
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Hala Rasras
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Ella Hanzin
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Ori Aslan
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Eyal Zur
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Nadav Schulcz
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Daniel Cohen-Hatab
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Yona Samama
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Sarah Nir
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Irina Dobrotvorskia
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel
| | - Shai Sabbah
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel.
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6
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Duggins P, Eliasmith C. A scalable spiking amygdala model that explains fear conditioning, extinction, renewal and generalization. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:3093-3116. [PMID: 38616566 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The amygdala (AMY) is widely implicated in fear learning and fear behaviour, but it remains unclear how the many biological components present within AMY interact to achieve these abilities. Building on previous work, we hypothesize that individual AMY nuclei represent different quantities and that fear conditioning arises from error-driven learning on the synapses between AMY nuclei. We present a computational model of AMY that (a) recreates the divisions and connections between AMY nuclei and their constituent pyramidal and inhibitory neurons; (b) accommodates scalable high-dimensional representations of external stimuli; (c) learns to associate complex stimuli with the presence (or absence) of an aversive stimulus; (d) preserves feature information when mapping inputs to salience estimates, such that these estimates generalize to similar stimuli; and (e) induces a diverse profile of neural responses within each nucleus. Our model predicts (1) defensive responses and neural activities in several experimental conditions, (2) the consequence of artificially ablating particular nuclei and (3) the tendency to generalize defensive responses to novel stimuli. We test these predictions by comparing model outputs to neural and behavioural data from animals and humans. Despite the relative simplicity of our model, we find significant overlap between simulated and empirical data, which supports our claim that the model captures many of the neural mechanisms that support fear conditioning. We conclude by comparing our model to other computational models and by characterizing the theoretical relationship between pattern separation and fear generalization in healthy versus anxious individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Duggins
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chris Eliasmith
- Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Diehl MM, Moscarello JM, Trask S. Behavioral outputs and overlapping circuits between conditional fear and active avoidance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107943. [PMID: 38821256 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107943] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Aversive learning can produce a wide variety of defensive behavioral responses depending on the circumstances, ranging from reactive responses like freezing to proactive avoidance responses. While most of this initial learning is behaviorally supported by an expectancy of an aversive outcome and neurally supported by activity within the basolateral amygdala, activity in other brain regions become necessary for the execution of defensive strategies that emerge in other aversive learning paradigms such as active avoidance. Here, we review the neural circuits that support both reactive and proactive defensive behaviors that are motivated by aversive learning, and identify commonalities between the neural substrates of these distinct (and often exclusive) behavioral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Diehl
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | | | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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8
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Peng B, Foilb AR, Manasian Y, Li Y, Deng X, Meloni EG, Ressler KJ, Carlezon WA, Bolshakov VY. Intra-amygdala circuits of sleep disruption-induced anxiety in female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.19.594863. [PMID: 38798391 PMCID: PMC11118584 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.19.594863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Combining mouse genetics, electrophysiology, and behavioral training and testing, we explored how sleep disruption may affect the function of anxiety-controlling circuits, focusing on projections from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) to CRF-positive cells in the lateral division of the central amygdala (CeL). We found in Crh-IRES-Cre::Ai14(tdTomato) reporter female mice that 6 hours of sleep disruption during their non-active (light) cycle may be anxiogenic. Notably, the AMPAR/NMDAR EPSC amplitude ratio at the BLA inputs to CRF-CeL cells (CRF CeL ), assessed with whole-cell recordings in ex vivo experiments, was enhanced in slices from sleep-disrupted mice, whereas paired-pulse ratio (PPR) of the EPSCs induced by two closely spaced presynaptic stimuli remained unchanged. These findings indicate that sleep disruption-associated synaptic enhancements in glutamatergic projections from the BLA to CRF-CeL neurons may be postsynaptically expressed. We found also that the excitation/inhibition (E/I) ratio in the BLA to CRF CeL inputs was increased in sleep-disrupted mice, suggesting that the functional efficiency of excitation in BLA inputs to CRF CeL cells has increased following sleep disruption, thus resulting in their enhanced activation. The latter could be translated into enhanced anxiogenesis as activation of CRF cells in the CeL was shown to promote anxiety-like behaviors.
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9
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Luft JG, Popik B, Gonçalves DA, Cruz FC, de Oliveira Alvares L. Distinct engrams control fear and extinction memory. Hippocampus 2024; 34:230-240. [PMID: 38396226 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Memories are stored in engram cells, which are necessary and sufficient for memory recall. Recalling a memory might undergo reconsolidation or extinction. It has been suggested that the original memory engram is reactivated during reconsolidation so that memory can be updated. Conversely, during extinction training, a new memory is formed that suppresses the original engram. Nonetheless, it is unknown whether extinction creates a new engram or modifies the original fear engram. In this study, we utilized the Daun02 procedure, which uses c-Fos-lacZ rats to induce apoptosis of strongly activated neurons and examine whether a new memory trace emerges as a result of a short or long reactivation, or if these processes rely on modifications within the original engram located in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and infralimbic (IL) cortex. By eliminating neurons activated during consolidation and reactivation, we observed significant impacts on fear memory, highlighting the importance of the BLA engram in these processes. Although we were unable to show any impact when removing the neurons activated after the test of a previously extinguished memory in the BLA, disrupting the IL extinction engram reactivated the aversive memory that was suppressed by the extinction memory. Thus, we demonstrated that the IL cortex plays a crucial role in the network involved in extinction, and disrupting this specific node alone is sufficient to impair extinction behavior. Additionally, our findings indicate that extinction memories rely on the formation of a new memory, supporting the theory that extinction memories rely on the formation of a new memory, whereas the reconsolidation process reactivates the same original memory trace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordana Griebler Luft
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Memória, Departamento de Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bruno Popik
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Memória, Departamento de Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Débora Aguirre Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Memória, Departamento de Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fabio Cardoso Cruz
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas de Oliveira Alvares
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Memória, Departamento de Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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10
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Kovlyagina I, Wierczeiko A, Todorov H, Jacobi E, Tevosian M, von Engelhardt J, Gerber S, Lutz B. Leveraging interindividual variability in threat conditioning of inbred mice to model trait anxiety. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002642. [PMID: 38805548 PMCID: PMC11161093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002642] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Trait anxiety is a major risk factor for stress-induced and anxiety disorders in humans. However, animal models accounting for the interindividual variability in stress vulnerability are largely lacking. Moreover, the pervasive bias of using mostly male animals in preclinical studies poorly reflects the increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders in women. Using the threat imminence continuum theory, we designed and validated an auditory aversive conditioning-based pipeline in both female and male mice. We operationalised trait anxiety by harnessing the naturally occurring variability of defensive freezing responses combined with a model-based clustering strategy. While sustained freezing during prolonged retrieval sessions was identified as an anxiety-endophenotype behavioral marker in both sexes, females were consistently associated with an increased freezing response. RNA-sequencing of CeA, BLA, ACC, and BNST revealed massive differences in phasic and sustained responders' transcriptomes, correlating with transcriptomic signatures of psychiatric disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, we detected significant alterations in the excitation/inhibition balance of principal neurons in the lateral amygdala. These findings provide compelling evidence that trait anxiety in inbred mice can be leveraged to develop translationally relevant preclinical models to investigate mechanisms of stress susceptibility in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kovlyagina
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anna Wierczeiko
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hristo Todorov
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Eric Jacobi
- Institute of Pathophysiology, and Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Margarita Tevosian
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Jakob von Engelhardt
- Institute of Pathophysiology, and Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
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11
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Vásquez CE, Knak Guerra KT, Renner J, Rasia-Filho AA. Morphological heterogeneity of neurons in the human central amygdaloid nucleus. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25319. [PMID: 38629777 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25319] [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: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) has an ancient phylogenetic development and functions relevant for animal survival. Local cells receive intrinsic amygdaloidal information that codes emotional stimuli of fear, integrate them, and send cortical and subcortical output projections that prompt rapid visceral and social behavior responses. We aimed to describe the morphology of the neurons that compose the human CeA (N = 8 adult men). Cells within CeA coronal borders were identified using the thionine staining and were further analyzed using the "single-section" Golgi method followed by open-source software procedures for two-dimensional and three-dimensional image reconstructions. Our results evidenced varied neuronal cell body features, number and thickness of primary shafts, dendritic branching patterns, and density and shape of dendritic spines. Based on these criteria, we propose the existence of 12 morphologically different spiny neurons in the human CeA and discuss the variability in the dendritic architecture within cellular types, including likely interneurons. Some dendritic shafts were long and straight, displayed few collaterals, and had planar radiation within the coronal neuropil volume. Most of the sampled neurons showed a few to moderate density of small stubby/wide spines. Long spines (thin and mushroom) were observed occasionally. These novel data address the synaptic processing and plasticity in the human CeA. Our morphological description can be combined with further transcriptomic, immunohistochemical, and electrophysiological/connectional approaches. It serves also to investigate how neurons are altered in neurological and psychiatric disorders with hindered emotional perception, in anxiety, following atrophy in schizophrenia, and along different stages of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Vásquez
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Kétlyn T Knak Guerra
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Josué Renner
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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12
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Hegoburu C, Tang Y, Niu R, Ghosh S, Triana Del Rio R, de Araujo Salgado I, Abatis M, Alexandre Mota Caseiro D, van den Burg EH, Grundschober C, Stoop R. Social buffering in rats reduces fear by oxytocin triggering sustained changes in central amygdala neuronal activity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2081. [PMID: 38453902 PMCID: PMC10920863 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45626-z] [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: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The presence of a companion can reduce fear, but the neural mechanisms underlying this social buffering of fear are incompletely known. We studied social buffering of fear in male and female, and its encoding in the amygdala of male, auditory fear-conditioned rats. Pharmacological, opto,- and/or chemogenetic interventions showed that oxytocin signaling from hypothalamus-to-central amygdala projections underlied fear reduction acutely with a companion and social buffering retention 24 h later without a companion. Single-unit recordings with optetrodes in the central amygdala revealed fear-encoding neurons (showing increased conditioned stimulus-responses after fear conditioning) inhibited by social buffering and blue light-stimulated oxytocinergic hypothalamic projections. Other central amygdala neurons showed baseline activity enhanced by blue light and companion exposure, with increased conditioned stimulus responses that persisted without the companion. Social buffering of fear thus switches the conditioned stimulus from encoding "fear" to "safety" by oxytocin-mediated recruitment of a distinct group of central amygdala "buffer neurons".
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Hegoburu
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yan Tang
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruifang Niu
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Supriya Ghosh
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Marios Abatis
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Christophe Grundschober
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ron Stoop
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Sowa JE, Tokarski K, Hess G. Activation of the CXCR4 Receptor by Chemokine CXCL12 Increases the Excitability of Neurons in the Rat Central Amygdala. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2024; 19:9. [PMID: 38430337 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-024-10112-2] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Primarily regarded as immune proteins, chemokines are emerging as a family of molecules serving neuromodulatory functions in the developing and adult brain. Among them, CXCL12 is constitutively and widely expressed in the CNS, where it was shown to act on cellular, synaptic, network, and behavioral levels. Its receptor, CXCR4, is abundant in the amygdala, a brain structure involved in pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. Dysregulation of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling has been implicated in anxiety-related behaviors. Here we demonstrate that exogenous CXCL12 at 2 nM but not at 5 nM increased neuronal excitability in the lateral division of the rat central amygdala (CeL) which was evident in the Late-Firing but not Regular-Spiking neurons. These effects were blocked by AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist. Moreover, CXCL12 increased the excitability of the neurons of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) that is known to project to the CeL. However, CXCL12 increased neither the spontaneous excitatory nor spontaneous inhibitory synaptic transmission in the CeL. In summary, the data reveal specific activation of Late-Firing CeL cells along with BLA neurons by CXCL12 and suggest that this chemokine may alter information processing by the amygdala that likely contributes to anxiety and fear conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Ewa Sowa
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow, 31-343, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Tokarski
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow, 31-343, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hess
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow, 31-343, Poland
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14
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Yeh LF, Zuo S, Liu PW. Molecular diversity and functional dynamics in the central amygdala. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1364268. [PMID: 38419794 PMCID: PMC10899328 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1364268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is crucial in integrating sensory and associative information to mediate adaptive responses to emotional stimuli. Recent advances in genetic techniques like optogenetics and chemogenetics have deepened our understanding of distinct neuronal populations within the CeA, particularly those involved in fear learning and memory consolidation. However, challenges remain due to overlapping genetic markers complicating neuron identification. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of molecularly defined cell types and their projection patterns, which are essential for elucidating functional roles, is still developing. Recent advancements in transcriptomics are starting to bridge these gaps, offering new insights into the functional dynamics of CeA neurons. In this review, we provide an overview of the expanding genetic markers for amygdala research, encompassing recent developments and current trends. We also discuss how novel transcriptomic approaches are redefining cell types in the CeA and setting the stage for comprehensive functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Feng Yeh
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shuzhen Zuo
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pin-Wu Liu
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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15
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Plas SL, Tuna T, Bayer H, Juliano VAL, Sweck SO, Arellano Perez AD, Hassell JE, Maren S. Neural circuits for the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1352797. [PMID: 38370858 PMCID: PMC10869525 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1352797] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of fear memories is critical for adaptive behaviors and dysregulation of these processes is implicated in trauma- and stress-related disorders. Treatments for these disorders include pharmacological interventions as well as exposure-based therapies, which rely upon extinction learning. Considerable attention has been directed toward elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying fear and extinction learning. In this review, we will discuss historic discoveries and emerging evidence on the neural mechanisms of the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memories. We will focus on neural circuits regulating the acquisition and extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rodent models, particularly the role of the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in the contextual control of extinguished fear memories. We will also consider new work revealing an important role for the thalamic nucleus reuniens in the modulation of prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in extinction learning and memory. Finally, we will explore the effects of stress on this circuit and the clinical implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Plas
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Tuğçe Tuna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Vitor A. L. Juliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samantha O. Sweck
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Angel D. Arellano Perez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - James E. Hassell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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16
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Palchaudhuri S, Osypenko D, Schneggenburger R. Fear Learning: An Evolving Picture for Plasticity at Synaptic Afferents to the Amygdala. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:87-104. [PMID: 35822657 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221108083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the neuronal mechanisms of fear learning might allow neuroscientists to make links between a learned behavior and the underlying plasticity at specific synaptic connections. In fear learning, an innocuous sensory event such as a tone (called the conditioned stimulus, CS) acquires an emotional value when paired with an aversive outcome (unconditioned stimulus, US). Here, we review earlier studies that have shown that synaptic plasticity at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala (LA) is critical for the formation of auditory-cued fear memories. Despite the early progress, it has remained unclear whether there are separate synaptic inputs that carry US information to the LA to act as a teaching signal for plasticity at CS-coding synapses. Recent findings have begun to fill this gap by showing, first, that thalamic and cortical auditory afferents can also carry US information; second, that the release of neuromodulators contributes to US-driven teaching signals; and third, that synaptic plasticity additionally happens at connections up- and downstream of the LA. Together, a picture emerges in which coordinated synaptic plasticity in serial and parallel circuits enables the formation of a finely regulated fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shriya Palchaudhuri
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denys Osypenko
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Schneggenburger
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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17
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Leake J, Leidl DM, Lay BPP, Fam JP, Giles MC, Qureshi OA, Westbrook RF, Holmes NM. What is Learned Determines How Pavlovian Conditioned Fear is Consolidated in the Brain. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0513232023. [PMID: 37963767 PMCID: PMC10860607 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0513-23.2023] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Activity in the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) is needed to encode fears acquired through contact with both innate sources of danger (i.e., things that are painful) and learned sources of danger (e.g., being threatened with a gun). However, within the BLA, the molecular processes required to consolidate the two types of fear are not the same: protein synthesis is needed to consolidate the first type of fear (so-called first-order fear) but not the latter (so-called second-order fear). The present study examined why first- and second-order fears differ in this respect. Specifically, it used a range of conditioning protocols in male and female rats, and assessed the effects of a BLA infusion of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, on first- and second-order conditioned fear. The results revealed that the differential protein synthesis requirements for consolidation of first- and second-order fears reflect differences in what is learned in each case. Protein synthesis in the BLA is needed to consolidate fears that result from encoding of relations between stimuli in the environment (stimulus-stimulus associations, typical for first-order fear) but is not needed to consolidate fears that form when environmental stimuli associate directly with fear responses emitted by the animal (stimulus-response associations, typical for second-order fear). Thus, the substrates of Pavlovian fear conditioning in the BLA depend on the way that the environment impinges upon the animal. This is discussed with respect to theories of amygdala function in Pavlovian fear conditioning, and ways in which stimulus-response associations might be consolidated in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Leake
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Dana M Leidl
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Belinda P P Lay
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Justine P Fam
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Madeleine C Giles
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Omar A Qureshi
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec HB4 1R6, Canada
| | - R Frederick Westbrook
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Nathan M Holmes
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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18
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Chen D, Lou Q, Song XJ, Kang F, Liu A, Zheng C, Li Y, Wang D, Qun S, Zhang Z, Cao P, Jin Y. Microglia govern the extinction of acute stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:449. [PMID: 38200023 PMCID: PMC10781988 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44704-6] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety-associated symptoms following acute stress usually become extinct gradually within a period of time. However, the mechanisms underlying how individuals cope with stress to achieve the extinction of anxiety are not clear. Here we show that acute restraint stress causes an increase in the activity of GABAergic neurons in the CeA (GABACeA) in male mice, resulting in anxiety-like behaviors within 12 hours; meanwhile, elevated GABACeA neuronal CX3CL1 secretion via MST4 (mammalian sterile-20-like kinase 4)-NF-κB-CX3CL1 signaling consequently activates microglia in the CeA. Activated microglia in turn inhibit GABACeA neuronal activity via the engulfment of their dendritic spines, ultimately leading to the extinction of anxiety-like behaviors induced by restraint stress. These findings reveal a dynamic molecular and cellular mechanism in which microglia drive a negative feedback to inhibit GABACeA neuronal activity, thus facilitating maintenance of brain homeostasis in response to acute stress.
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Grants
- 32025017 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- 32121002 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- 82101300 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- U22A20305 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- the National Key Research and Development Program of China (STI2030-Major Projects 2021ZD0203100), Plans for Major Provincial Science & Technology Projects (202303a07020002), the CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research (YSBR-013), the Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai (SHSMU-ZDCX20211902), the Institute of Health and Medicine (OYZD20220007)
- the China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (BX20220283), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2023M733395)
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS, CAS Collaborative Innovation Program of Hefei Science Center (2021HSC-CIP013), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WK9100000030), USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (YD9100002018), the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (2208085J30), and USTC Tang Scholar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Qianqian Lou
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Xiang-Jie Song
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Fang Kang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Changjian Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Yanhua Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Sen Qun
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
- The Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine, Institute of Health and Medicine, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Peng Cao
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Yan Jin
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
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19
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Lonnberg A, Logrip ML, Kuznetsov A. Mechanisms of alcohol influence on fear conditioning: a computational model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.30.573310. [PMID: 38260700 PMCID: PMC10802259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.30.573310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
A connection between stress-related illnesses and alcohol use disorders is extensively documented. Fear conditioning is a standard procedure used to study stress learning and links it to the activation of amygdala circuitry. However, the connection between the changes in amygdala circuit and function induced by alcohol and fear conditioning is not well established. We introduce a computational model to test the mechanistic relationship between amygdala functional and circuit adaptations during fear conditioning and the impact of acute vs. repeated alcohol exposure. In accordance with experiments, both acute and prior repeated alcohol decreases speed and robustness of fear extinction in our simulations. The model predicts that, first, the delay in fear extinction in alcohol is mostly induced by greater activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after fear acquisition due to alcohol-induced modulation of synaptic weights. Second, both acute and prior repeated alcohol shifts the amygdala network away from the robust extinction regime by inhibiting the activity in the central amygdala (CeA). Third, our model predicts that fear memories formed in acute or after chronic alcohol are more connected to the context. Thus, the model suggests how circuit changes induced by alcohol may affect fear behaviors and provides a framework for investigating the involvement of multiple neuromodulators in this neuroadaptive process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lonnberg
- University of Evansville, Department of Mathematics, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Marian L. Logrip
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Psychology, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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20
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Sherman BE, Turk-Browne NB, Goldfarb EV. Multiple Memory Subsystems: Reconsidering Memory in the Mind and Brain. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:103-125. [PMID: 37390333 PMCID: PMC10756937 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231179146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The multiple-memory-systems framework-that distinct types of memory are supported by distinct brain systems-has guided learning and memory research for decades. However, recent work challenges the one-to-one mapping between brain structures and memory types central to this taxonomy, with key memory-related structures supporting multiple functions across substructures. Here we integrate cross-species findings in the hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala to propose an updated framework of multiple memory subsystems (MMSS). We provide evidence for two organizational principles of the MMSS theory: First, opposing memory representations are colocated in the same brain structures; second, parallel memory representations are supported by distinct structures. We discuss why this burgeoning framework has the potential to provide a useful revision of classic theories of long-term memory, what evidence is needed to further validate the framework, and how this novel perspective on memory organization may guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA
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21
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Ng K, Pollock M, Escobedo A, Bachman B, Miyazaki N, Bartlett EL, Sangha S. Suppressing fear in the presence of a safety cue requires infralimbic cortical signaling to central amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:359-367. [PMID: 37188848 PMCID: PMC10724163 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01598-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressful events can have lasting and impactful effects on behavior, especially by disrupting normal regulation of fear and reward processing. Accurate discrimination among environmental cues predicting threat, safety or reward adaptively guides behavior. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a condition in which maladaptive fear persists in response to explicit safety-predictive cues that coincide with previously learned threat cues, but without threat being present. Since both the infralimbic cortex (IL) and amygdala have each been shown to be important for fear regulation to safety cues, we tested the necessity of specific IL projections to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or central amygdala (CeA) during safety recall. Male Long Evans rats were used since prior work showed female Long Evans rats did not acquire the safety discrimination task used in this study. Here, we show the infralimbic projection to the central amygdala was necessary for suppressing fear cue-induced freezing in the presence of a learned safety cue, and the projection to the basolateral amygdala was not. The loss of discriminative fear regulation seen specifically during IL->CeA inhibition is similar to the behavioral disruption seen in PTSD individuals that fail to regulate fear in the presence of a safety cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Ng
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Michael Pollock
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Abraham Escobedo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Brent Bachman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Nanami Miyazaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Edward L Bartlett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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22
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Zhang L, Zhang P, Dong Q, Zhao Z, Zheng W, Zhang J, Hu X, Yao Z, Hu B. Fine-grained features characterize hippocampal and amygdaloid change pattern in Parkinson's disease and discriminate cognitive-deficit subtype. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14480. [PMID: 37849445 PMCID: PMC10805398 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14480] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS To extract vertex-wise features of the hippocampus and amygdala in Parkinson's disease (PD) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal cognition (NC) and further evaluate their discriminatory efficacy. METHODS High-resolution 3D-T1 data were collected from 68 PD-MCI, 211 PD-NC, and 100 matched healthy controls (HC). Surface geometric features were captured using surface conformal representation, and surfaces were registered to a common template using fluid registration. The statistical tests were performed to detect differences between groups. The disease-discriminatory ability of features was also tested in the ensemble classifiers. RESULTS The amygdala, not the hippocampus, showed significant overall differences among the groups. Compared with PD-NC, the right amygdala in MCI patients showed expansion (anterior cortical, anterior amygdaloid, and accessory basal areas) and atrophy (basolateral ventromedial area) subregions. There was notable atrophy in the right CA1 and hippocampal subiculum of PD-MCI. The accuracy of classifiers with multivariate morphometry statistics as features exceeded 85%. CONCLUSION PD-MCI is associated with multiscale morphological changes in the amygdala, as well as subtle atrophy in the hippocampus. These novel metrics demonstrated the potential to serve as biomarkers for PD-MCI diagnosis. Overall, these findings from this study help understand the role of subcortical structures in the neuropathological mechanisms of PD cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyu Zhang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Department of Magnetic ResonanceLanzhou University Second HospitalLanzhouChina
- Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Functional and Molecular ImagingLanzhouChina
| | - Qunxi Dong
- School of Medical TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Ziyang Zhao
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Magnetic ResonanceLanzhou University Second HospitalLanzhouChina
- Gansu Province Clinical Research Center for Functional and Molecular ImagingLanzhouChina
| | - Xiping Hu
- School of Medical TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Zhijun Yao
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Bin Hu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and EngineeringLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
- School of Medical TechnologyBeijing Institute of TechnologyBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- Joint Research Center for Cognitive Neurosensor Technology of Lanzhou University & Institute of SemiconductorsChinese Academy of SciencesLanzhouChina
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23
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Braine A, Georges F. Emotion in action: When emotions meet motor circuits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105475. [PMID: 37996047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The brain is a remarkably complex organ responsible for a wide range of functions, including the modulation of emotional states and movement. Neuronal circuits are believed to play a crucial role in integrating sensory, cognitive, and emotional information to ultimately guide motor behavior. Over the years, numerous studies employing diverse techniques such as electrophysiology, imaging, and optogenetics have revealed a complex network of neural circuits involved in the regulation of emotional or motor processes. Emotions can exert a substantial influence on motor performance, encompassing both everyday activities and pathological conditions. The aim of this review is to explore how emotional states can shape movements by connecting the neural circuits for emotional processing to motor neural circuits. We first provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of different emotional states on motor control in humans and rodents. In line with behavioral studies, we set out to identify emotion-related structures capable of modulating motor output, behaviorally and anatomically. Neuronal circuits involved in emotional processing are extensively connected to the motor system. These circuits can drive emotional behavior, essential for survival, but can also continuously shape ongoing movement. In summary, the investigation of the intricate relationship between emotion and movement offers valuable insights into human behavior, including opportunities to enhance performance, and holds promise for improving mental and physical health. This review integrates findings from multiple scientific approaches, including anatomical tracing, circuit-based dissection, and behavioral studies, conducted in both animal and human subjects. By incorporating these different methodologies, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the emotional modulation of movement in both physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaelle Braine
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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24
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Althammer F, Roy RK, Kirchner MK, Lira EC, Schimmer S, Charlet A, Grinevich V, Stern JE. Impaired oxytocin signaling in the central amygdala in rats with chronic heart failure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.22.568271. [PMID: 38045233 PMCID: PMC10690294 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.22.568271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Aims Heart failure (HF) patients often suffer from cognitive decline, depression, and mood impairments, but the molecular signals and brain circuits underlying these effects remain elusive. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is critically involved in the regulation of mood, and OTergic signaling in the central amygdala (CeA) is a key mechanism controlling emotional responses including anxiety-like behaviors. Based on this, we used in this study a well-established ischemic rat HF model and aimed to study alterations in the hypothalamus-to-CeA OTergic circuit. Methods and Results To study potential HF-induced changes in the hypothalamus-to-CeA OTertic circuit, we combined patch-clamp electrophysiology, immunohistochemical analysis, RNAScope assessment of OTR mRNA, brain region-specific stereotaxic injections of viral vectors and retrograde tracing, optogenetic stimulation and OT biosensors in the ischemic HF model. We found that most of OTergic innervation of the central amygdala (CeA) originated from the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON). While no differences in the numbers of SON→CeA OTertic neurons (or their OT content) was observed between sham and HF rats, we did observe a blunted content and release of OT from axonal terminals within the CeA. Moreover, we report downregulation of neuronal and astrocytic OT receptors, and impaired OTR-driven GABAergic synaptic activity within the CeA microcircuit of rats with HF. Conclusions Our study provides first evidence that HF rats display various perturbations in the hypothalamus-to-amygdala OTergic circuit, and lays the foundation for future translational studies targeting either the OT system or GABAergic amygdala GABA microcircuit to ameliorate depression or mood impairments in rats or patients with chronic HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Althammer
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg
| | - Ranjan K. Roy
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew K. Kirchner
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elba Campos Lira
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephanie Schimmer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Javier E. Stern
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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25
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Zhou JL, de Guglielmo G, Ho AJ, Kallupi M, Pokhrel N, Li HR, Chitre AS, Munro D, Mohammadi P, Carrette LLG, George O, Palmer AA, McVicker G, Telese F. Single-nucleus genomics in outbred rats with divergent cocaine addiction-like behaviors reveals changes in amygdala GABAergic inhibition. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1868-1879. [PMID: 37798411 PMCID: PMC10620093 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01452-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala processes positive and negative valence and contributes to addiction, but the cell-type-specific gene regulatory programs involved are unknown. We generated an atlas of single-nucleus gene expression and chromatin accessibility in the amygdala of outbred rats with high and low cocaine addiction-like behaviors following prolonged abstinence. Differentially expressed genes between the high and low groups were enriched for energy metabolism across cell types. Rats with high addiction index (AI) showed increased relapse-like behaviors and GABAergic transmission in the amygdala. Both phenotypes were reversed by pharmacological inhibition of the glyoxalase 1 enzyme, which metabolizes methylglyoxal-a GABAA receptor agonist produced by glycolysis. Differences in chromatin accessibility between high and low AI rats implicated pioneer transcription factors in the basic helix-loop-helix, FOX, SOX and activator protein 1 families. We observed opposite regulation of chromatin accessibility across many cell types. Most notably, excitatory neurons had greater accessibility in high AI rats and inhibitory neurons had greater accessibility in low AI rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Zhou
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Aaron J Ho
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Narayan Pokhrel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hai-Ri Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Apurva S Chitre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Munro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pejman Mohammadi
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Abraham A Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Graham McVicker
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Francesca Telese
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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26
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Shih CC, Chang CH. Activation of the basolateral or the central amygdala dampened the incentive motivation for food reward on high fixed-ratio schedules. Behav Brain Res 2023; 455:114682. [PMID: 37742807 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114682] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala plays crucial roles in emotional processing, motivated behaviors, and stress responses. It receives sensory information and modulates fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. Neuronal activations are induced in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) when exposing to acute stress, leading to increased alertness and proper behavioral adaptation. Previous studies have shown that animals displayed a decrease in appetitive motivated behaviors under stress conditions. However, whether the hyperactive amygdala is responsible for the decrease in appetitive motivated behaviors remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to examine the role of BLA or CeA activation in effort-based motivated behavior. We pharmacologically activated the BLA or the CeA with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) before the lever-pressing for food reward test on different fixed-ratio (FR) schedules (FR1, FR16, or FR32) in male Long-Evans rats. Our data showed that activation of either the BLA or the CeA with NMDA (0.05 μg in 0.5 μl per site) decreased the lever-pressing behavior on higher FR schedules of FR16 and FR32, but not on the FR1 test. Importantly, locomotor activity and free-feeding food intake were intact under amygdala activation, suggesting that the decrease in lever-pressing behavior was not due to motor disablement or decreased appetite. These results suggested that activation of the BLA or the CeA negatively impaired the effort-based motivated behavior that the animals were less willing to work for food reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chia Shih
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hui Chang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
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27
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Kamrani-Sharif R, Hayes AW, Gholami M, Salehirad M, Allahverdikhani M, Motaghinejad M, Emanuele E. Oxytocin as neuro-hormone and neuro-regulator exert neuroprotective properties: A mechanistic graphical review. Neuropeptides 2023; 101:102352. [PMID: 37354708 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2023.102352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodegeneration is progressive cell loss in specific neuronal populations, often resulting in clinical consequences with significant medical, societal, and economic implications. Because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, oxytocin has been proposed as a potential neuroprotective and neurobehavioral therapeutic agent, including modulating mood disturbances and cognitive enchantment. METHODS Literature searches were conducted using the following databases Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, Google Scholar, the Core Collection, and Cochrane from January 2000 to February 2023 for articles dealing with oxytocin neuroprotective properties in preventing or treating neurodegenerative disorders and diseases with a focus on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis/cell death. RESULTS The neuroprotective effects of oxytocin appears to be mediated by its anti-inflammatory properties, inhibition of neuro inflammation, activation of several antioxidant enzymes, inhibition of oxidative stress and free radical formation, activation of free radical scavengers, prevent of mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibition of apoptosis. CONCLUSION Oxytocin acts as a neuroprotective agent by preventing neuro-apoptosis, neuro-inflammation, and neuronal oxidative stress, and by restoring mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Kamrani-Sharif
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - A Wallace Hayes
- University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, USA; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mina Gholami
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Salehirad
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Amir-Almomenin Hospital, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Allahverdikhani
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Motaghinejad
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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28
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Sun Y, Qian L, Xu L, Hunt S, Sah P. Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4163-4174. [PMID: 33005027 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety are two defensive emotional states evoked by threats in the environment. Fear can be initiated by either imminent or future threats, but experimentally, it is typically studied as a phasic response initiated by imminent danger that subsides when the threats is removed. In contrast, anxiety is a sustained response, initiated by imagined or potential threats. The central amygdala (CeA) is a key structure active during both fear and anxiety but thought to engage different neural systems. Fear responses are triggered by activation of somatostatin (SOM) expressing neurons in the lateral division of the CeA (CeL), and downstream projections from the medial division. Anxiety responses engage the central extended amygdala that includes the CeA, central sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEAc) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but the nature of connections between these regions is not understood. Here using a combination of tract tracing, electrophysiology, and behavioral analysis in mice, we show that a population of SOM+ neurons in the CeL project to the SLEAc where they inhibit local GABAergic interneurons. Optogenetic activation of this input to the SLEAc has no effect on movement, but is anxiogenic in both open field and elevated plus maze. Our results define the inhibitory connections between CeL and SLEAc and establish a specific CeL to SLEAc projection as a circuit element in mediating anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Sun
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lei Qian
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Li Xu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah Hunt
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, PR China.
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29
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Silvas-Baltazar M, López-Oropeza G, Durán P, Martínez-Canabal A. Olfactory neurogenesis and its role in fear memory modulation. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1278324. [PMID: 37840547 PMCID: PMC10569173 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1278324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is a critical sense that allows animals to navigate and understand their environment. In mammals, the critical brain structure to receive and process olfactory information is the olfactory bulb, a structure characterized by a laminated pattern with different types of neurons, some of which project to distant telencephalic structures, like the piriform cortex, the amygdala, and the hippocampal formation. Therefore, the olfactory bulb is the first structure of a complex cognitive network that relates olfaction to different types of memory, including episodic memories. The olfactory bulb continuously adds inhibitory newborn neurons throughout life; these cells locate both in the granule and glomerular layers and integrate into the olfactory circuits, inhibiting projection neurons. However, the roles of these cells modulating olfactory memories are unclear, particularly their role in fear memories. We consider that olfactory neurogenesis might modulate olfactory fear memories by a plastic process occurring in the olfactory bulb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monserrat Silvas-Baltazar
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Grecia López-Oropeza
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Pilar Durán
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alonso Martínez-Canabal
- Licenciatura en Neurociencias, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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30
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Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Peng AB, Yu XD, Li CY, Fu JY, Shen CJ, Cao SX, Zhang Y, Chen J, Li XM. Distinct Circuits From the Central Lateral Amygdala to the Ventral Part of the Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis Regulate Different Fear Memory. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)01553-6. [PMID: 37678543 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to differentiate stimuli that predict fear is critical for survival; however, the underlying molecular and circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS We combined transgenic mice, in vivo transsynaptic circuit-dissecting anatomical approaches, optogenetics, pharmacological methods, and electrophysiological recording to investigate the involvement of specific extended amygdala circuits in different fear memory. RESULTS We identified the projections from central lateral amygdala (CeL) protein kinase C δ (PKCδ)-positive neurons and somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons to GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) and glutamatergic neurons in the ventral part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (vBNST). Prolonged optogenetic activation or inhibition of the PKCδCeL-vBNST pathway specifically reduced context fear memory, whereas the SSTCeL-vBNST pathway mainly reduced tone fear memory. Intriguingly, optogenetic manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from PKCδCeL neurons exerted bidirectional regulation of context fear, whereas manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from SSTCeL neurons could bidirectionally regulate both context and tone fear memory. We subsequently demonstrated the presence of δ and κ opioid receptor protein expression within the CeL-vBNST circuits, potentially accounting for the discrepancy between prolonged activation of GABAergic circuits and inhibition of downstream vBNST neurons. Finally, administration of an opioid receptor antagonist cocktail on the PKCδCeL-vBNST or SSTCeL-vBNST pathway successfully restored context or tone fear memory reduction induced by prolonged activation of the circuits. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings establish a functional role for distinct CeL-vBNST circuits in the differential regulation and appropriate maintenance of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Ze Xie
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ai-Bing Peng
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Yue Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yu Fu
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Jie Shen
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Xia Cao
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiadong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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31
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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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32
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Penzo MA, Moscarello JM. From aversive associations to defensive programs: experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the central amygdala. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:701-711. [PMID: 37495461 PMCID: PMC10529247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.006] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity elicited by fear conditioning (FC) is thought to support the storage of aversive associative memories. Although work over the past decade has revealed FC-induced plasticity beyond canonical sites in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), it is not known whether modifications across distributed circuits make equivalent or distinct contributions to aversive memory. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has a circumscribed role in memory expression per se, guiding the selection of defensive programs in response to acquired threats. We argue that the CeA may be a key example of a broader phenomenon by which synaptic plasticity at specific nodes of a distributed network makes a complementary contribution to distinct memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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33
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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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Guerra DP, Wang W, Souza KA, Moscarello JM. A sex-specific role for the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in proactive defensive behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1234-1244. [PMID: 37142666 PMCID: PMC10267121 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01581-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a forebrain region implicated in aversive responses to uncertain threat. Much of the work on the role of BNST in defensive behavior has used Pavlovian paradigms in which the subject reacts to aversive stimuli delivered in a pattern determined entirely by the experimenter. Here, we explore the contribution of BNST to a task in which subjects learn a proactive response that prevents the delivery of an aversive outcome. To this end, male and female rats were trained to shuttle during a tone to avoid shock in a standard two-way signaled active avoidance paradigm. Chemogenetic inhibition (hM4Di) of BNST attenuated the expression of the avoidance response in male but not female rats. Inactivation of the neighboring medial septum in males produced no effect on avoidance, demonstrating that our effect was specific to BNST. A follow up study comparing hM4Di inhibition to hM3Dq activation of BNST in males replicated the effect of inhibition and demonstrated that activation of BNST extended the period of tone-evoked shuttling. These data support the novel conclusion that BNST mediates two-way avoidance behavior in male rats and suggest the intriguing possibility that the systems underlying proactive defensive behavior are sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Guerra
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karienn A Souza
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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Ko B, Yoo JY, Yoo T, Choi W, Dogan R, Sung K, Um D, Lee SB, Kim HJ, Lee S, Beak ST, Park SK, Paik SB, Kim TK, Kim JH. Npas4-mediated dopaminergic regulation of safety memory consolidation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112678. [PMID: 37379214 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amygdala circuitry encodes associations between conditioned stimuli and aversive unconditioned stimuli and also controls fear expression. However, whether and how non-threatening information for unpaired conditioned stimuli (CS-) is discretely processed remains unknown. The fear expression toward CS- is robust immediately after fear conditioning but then becomes negligible after memory consolidation. The synaptic plasticity of the neural pathway from the lateral to the anterior basal amygdala gates the fear expression of CS-, depending upon neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4)-mediated dopamine receptor D4 (Drd4) synthesis, which is precluded by stress exposure or corticosterone injection. Herein, we show cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the non-threatening (safety) memory consolidation, supporting the fear discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- BumJin Ko
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Yeon Yoo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Taesik Yoo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Woochul Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Rumeysa Dogan
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Kibong Sung
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Dahun Um
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Been Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jin Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangjun Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Tae Beak
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Ki Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Bum Paik
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Kyung Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Joung-Hun Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea; Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
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Neugebauer V, Presto P, Yakhnitsa V, Antenucci N, Mendoza B, Ji G. Pain-related cortico-limbic plasticity and opioid signaling. Neuropharmacology 2023; 231:109510. [PMID: 36944393 PMCID: PMC10585936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in cortico-limbic circuits has been implicated in pain persistence and pain modulation in clinical and preclinical studies. The amygdala has emerged as a key player in the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. Reciprocal interactions with medial prefrontal cortical regions undergo changes in pain conditions. Other limbic and paralimbic regions have been implicated in pain modulation as well. The cortico-limbic system is rich in opioids and opioid receptors. Preclinical evidence for their pain modulatory effects in different regions of this highly interactive system, potentially opposing functions of different opioid receptors, and knowledge gaps will be described here. There is little information about cell type- and circuit-specific functions of opioid receptor subtypes related to pain processing and pain-related plasticity in the cortico-limbic system. The important role of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala in MOR-dependent analgesia is most well-established, and MOR actions in the mesolimbic system appear to be similar but remain to be determined in mPFC regions other than ACC. Evidence also suggests that KOR signaling generally serves opposing functions whereas DOR signaling in the ACC has similar, if not synergistic effects, to MOR. A unifying picture of pain-related neuronal mechanisms of opioid signaling in different elements of the cortico-limbic circuitry has yet to emerge. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Nico Antenucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Brianna Mendoza
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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Hall NT, Hallquist MN. Dissociation of basolateral and central amygdala effective connectivity predicts the stability of emotion-related impulsivity in adolescents and emerging adults with borderline personality symptoms: a resting-state fMRI study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:3533-3547. [PMID: 35225192 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722000101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with altered activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, yet no studies have examined fronto-limbic circuitry in borderline adolescents and emerging adults. Here, we examined the contribution of fronto-limbic effective connectivity (EC) to the longitudinal stability of emotion-related impulsivity, a key feature of BPD, in symptomatic adolescents and young adults. METHODS We compared resting-state EC in 82 adolescents and emerging adults with and without clinically significant borderline symptoms (n BPD = 40, ages 13-30). Group-specific directed networks were estimated amongst fronto-limbic nodes including PFC, ventral striatum (VS), central amygdala (CeN), and basolateral amygdala (BLA). We examined the association of directed centrality metrics with initial levels and rates of change in emotion-related impulsivity symptoms over a one-year follow-up using latent growth curve models (LGCMs). RESULTS In controls, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsal ACC had a directed influence on CeN and VS, respectively. In the BPD group, bilateral BLA had a directed influence on CeN, whereas in the healthy group CeN influenced BLA. LGCMs indicated that emotion-related impulsivity was stable across a one-year follow-up in the BPD group. Further, higher EC of R CeN to other regions in controls was associated with stronger within-person decreases in emotion-related impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS Functional inputs from BLA and vmPFC appear to play competing roles in influencing CeN activity. In borderline adolescents and young adults, BLA may predominate over CeN activity, while in controls the ability of CeN to influence BLA activity predicted more rapid reductions in emotion-related impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T Hall
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael N Hallquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Boyle CA, Lei S. Neuromedin B excites central lateral amygdala neurons and reduces cardiovascular output and fear-potentiated startle. J Cell Physiol 2023; 238:1381-1404. [PMID: 37186390 PMCID: PMC10330072 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31020] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Neuromedin B (NMB) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) are the two mammalian analogs in the bombesin peptide family that exert a variety of actions including emotional processing, appetitive behaviors, cognition, and tumor growth. The bombesin-like peptides interact with three receptors: the NMB-preferring bombesin 1 (BB1) receptors, the GRP-preferring bombesin 2 (BB2) receptors and the orphan bombesin 3 (BB3) receptors. Whereas, injection of bombesin into the central amygdala reduces satiety and modulates blood pressure, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms have not been determined. As administration of bombesin induces the expression of Fos in the lateral nucleus of the central amygdala (CeL) which expresses BB1 receptors, we probed the effects of NMB on CeL neurons using in vitro and in vivo approaches. We showed that activation of the BB1 receptors increased action potential firing frequency recorded from CeL neurons via inhibition of the inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels. Activities of phospholipase Cβ and protein kinase C were required, whereas intracellular Ca2+ release was unnecessary for BB1 receptor-elicited potentiation of neuronal excitability. Application of NMB directly into the CeA reduced blood pressure and heart rate and significantly reduced fear-potentiated startle. We may provide a cellular and molecular mechanism whereby bombesin-like peptides modulate anxiety and fear responses in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A. Boyle
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Saobo Lei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
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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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40
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Yu Z, Kisner A, Bhatt A, Polter AM, Marvar PJ. Central amygdala angiotensin type 1 receptor (Agtr1) expressing neurons contribute to fear extinction. Neuropharmacology 2023; 229:109460. [PMID: 36801399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been linked to the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) however, the underlying neurobiological mechanism(s) remain elusive. Here we utilized angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) transgenic mice combined with neuroanatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological approaches, to examine the role of the central amygdala (CeA) expressing AT1R neurons in fear and anxiety-related behavior. Within the major amygdala subdivisions, AT1R+ neurons were localized to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) expressing neurons in the lateral division of the central amygdala (CeL), and the majority of them were identified as protein kinase C-δ positive (PKCδ+) neurons. Following CeA-AT1R deletion using cre-expressing lentiviral delivery in AT1R-Flox mice, generalized anxiety and locomotor activity as well as the acquisition of conditioned fear were unaltered while the acquisition of extinction learning, as measured by percent freezing behavior, was significantly enhanced. During electrophysiological recordings of CeL-AT1R+ neurons, the application of angiotensin II (1 μm) increased the amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) and decreased the excitability of CeL-AT1R+ neurons. Overall, these findings demonstrate that CeL-AT1R-expressing neurons play a role in fear extinction, potentially through facilitated CeL-AT1R+ GABAergic inhibition. These results provide new evidence for mechanisms of angiotensinergic neuromodulation of the CeL and its role in fear extinction and may aid in further advancing targeted novel therapies for improving maladaptive fear learning processes associated with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Alexandre Kisner
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Amy Bhatt
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Abigail M Polter
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Paul J Marvar
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
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Li HQ, Jiang W, Ling L, Gupta V, Chen C, Pratelli M, Godavarthi SK, Spitzer NC. Generalized fear following acute stress is caused by change in co-transmitter identity of serotonergic neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.10.540268. [PMID: 37214936 PMCID: PMC10197626 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.540268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Overgeneralization of fear to harmless situations is a core feature of anxiety disorders resulting from acute stress, yet the mechanisms by which fear becomes generalized are poorly understood. Here we show that generalized fear in mice in response to footshock results from a transmitter switch from glutamate to GABA in serotonergic neurons of the lateral wings of the dorsal raphe. We observe a similar change in transmitter identity in the postmortem brains of PTSD patients. Overriding the transmitter switch in mice using viral tools prevents the acquisition of generalized fear. Corticosterone release and activation of glucocorticoid receptors trigger the switch, and prompt antidepressant treatment blocks the co-transmitter switch and generalized fear. Our results provide new understanding of the plasticity involved in fear generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Quan Li
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
| | - Wuji Jiang
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
| | - Lily Ling
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
| | - Vaidehi Gupta
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
| | - Cong Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego
| | - Marta Pratelli
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
| | - Swetha K Godavarthi
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
| | - Nicholas C Spitzer
- Neurobiology Department and Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego
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Liu A, Cheng Y, Huang J. Neurons innervating both the central amygdala and the ventral tegmental area encode different emotional valences. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1178693. [PMID: 37214399 PMCID: PMC10196062 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1178693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammals are frequently exposed to various environmental stimuli, and to determine whether to approach or avoid these stimuli, the brain must assign emotional valence to them. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the neural circuitry mechanisms involved in the mammalian brain's processing of emotional valence. Although the central amygdala (CeA) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) individually encode different or even opposing emotional valences, it is unclear whether there are common upstream input neurons that innervate and control both these regions, and it is interesting to know what emotional valences of these common upstream neurons. In this study, we identify three major brain regions containing neurons that project to both the CeA and the VTA, including the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBNST), the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), and the anterior part of the basomedial amygdala (BMA). We discover that these neural populations encode distinct emotional valences. Activating neurons in the pBNST produces positive valence, enabling mice to overcome their innate avoidance behavior. Conversely, activating neurons in the PPTg produces negative valence and induces anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Neuronal activity in the BMA, on the other hand, does not influence valence processing. Thus, our study has discovered three neural populations that project to both the CeA and the VTA and has revealed the distinct emotional valences these populations encode. These results provide new insights into the neurological mechanisms involved in emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Liu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuelin Cheng
- Jeffrey Trail Middle School, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ju Huang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Chudoba R, Dabrowska J. Distinct populations of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons mediate divergent yet complementary defensive behaviors in response to a threat. Neuropharmacology 2023; 228:109461. [PMID: 36775096 PMCID: PMC10055972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Defensive behaviors in response to a threat are shared across the animal kingdom. Active (fleeing, sheltering) or passive (freezing, avoiding) defensive responses are adaptive and facilitate survival. Selecting appropriate defensive strategy depends on intensity, proximity, temporal threat threshold, and past experiences. Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a major driver of an acute stress response, whereas extrahypothalamic CRF mediates stress-related affective behaviors. In this review, we shift the focus from a monolithic role of CRF as an anxiogenic peptide to comprehensively dissecting contributions of distinct populations of CRF neurons in mediating defensive behaviors. Direct interrogation of CRF neurons of the central amygdala (CeA) or the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) show they drive unconditioned defensive responses, such as vigilance and avoidance of open spaces. Although both populations also contribute to learned fear responses in familiar, threatening contexts, CeA-CRF neurons are particularly attuned to the ever-changing environment. Depending on threat intensities, they facilitate discrimination of salient stimuli predicting manageable threats, and prevent their generalization. Finally, hypothalamic CRF neurons mediate initial threat assessment and active defense such as escape to shelter. Overall, these three major populations of CRF neurons demonstrate divergent, yet complementary contributions to the versatile defense system: heightened vigilance, discriminating salient threats, and active escape, representing three legs of the defense tripod. Despite the 'CRF exhaustion' in the field of affective neuroscience, understanding contributions of specific CRF neurons during adaptive defensive behaviors is needed in order to understand the implications of their dysregulation in fear- and anxiety-related psychiatric disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Chudoba
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States; School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.
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44
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Effinger DP, Quadir SG, Ramage MC, Cone MG, Herman MA. Sex-specific effects of psychedelic drug exposure on central amygdala reactivity and behavioral responding. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:119. [PMID: 37031219 PMCID: PMC10082812 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02414-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Psilocybin and its active metabolite psilocin have been shown to elicit rapid and long-lasting symptom improvements in a variety of affective psychiatric illnesses. However, the region-specific alterations underlying these therapeutic effects remain relatively unknown. The central amygdala (CeA) is a primary output region within the extended amygdala that is dysregulated in affective psychiatric disorders. Here, we measured CeA activity using the activity marker c-Fos and CeA reactivity using fiber photometry paired with an aversive air-puff stimulus. We found that psilocin administration acutely increased CeA activity in both males and females and increased stimulus specific CeA reactivity in females, but not males. In contrast, psilocin produced time-dependent decreases in reactivity in males, but not in females, as early as 2 days and lasting to 28 days post administration. We also measured behavioral responses to the air-puff stimulus and found sex-dependent changes in threat responding but not exploratory behavior or general locomotion. Repeated presentations of the auditory component of the air-puff were also performed and sex-specific effects of psilocin on CeA reactivity to the auditory-alone stimulus were also observed. This study provides new evidence that a single dose of psilocin produces sex-specific, time-dependent, and enduring changes in CeA reactivity and behavioral responding to specific components of an aversive stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Effinger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - S G Quadir
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - M C Ramage
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - M G Cone
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - M A Herman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Campos LJ, Arokiaraj CM, Chuapoco MR, Chen X, Goeden N, Gradinaru V, Fox AS. Advances in AAV technology for delivering genetically encoded cargo to the nonhuman primate nervous system. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 4:100086. [PMID: 37397806 PMCID: PMC10313870 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern neuroscience approaches including optogenetics, calcium imaging, and other genetic manipulations have facilitated our ability to dissect specific circuits in rodent models to study their role in neurological disease. These approaches regularly use viral vectors to deliver genetic cargo (e.g., opsins) to specific tissues and genetically-engineered rodents to achieve cell-type specificity. However, the translatability of these rodent models, cross-species validation of identified targets, and translational efficacy of potential therapeutics in larger animal models like nonhuman primates remains difficult due to the lack of efficient primate viral vectors. A refined understanding of the nonhuman primate nervous system promises to deliver insights that can guide the development of treatments for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we outline recent advances in the development of adeno-associated viral vectors for optimized use in nonhuman primates. These tools promise to help open new avenues for study in translational neuroscience and further our understanding of the primate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian J. Campos
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 05616, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Cynthia M. Arokiaraj
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Miguel R. Chuapoco
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Xinhong Chen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Nick Goeden
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Capsida Biotherapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91320, USA
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 05616, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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Chen CW, Chou YH, Liou YJ, Yang KC, Hu LY, Hsieh WC, Liu MN. Amygdala substructure volumes and serotonin transporter in first-episode, drug- naïve major depressive disorder: A pilot study. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 160:210-216. [PMID: 36857985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amygdala and serotonergic system abnormalities have been documented in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, most studies have been conducted on recurrent MDD, and only a few have assessed their interaction. This study aimed to concurrently examine both the amygdala and serotonergic systems and their clinical relevance in first-episode, drug-naïve MDD. METHODS This study included 27 patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs). The amygdala substructure volumes were performed with Freesurfer from a 1.5 T magnetic resonance image. Serotonin transporter (SERT) availability was detected by single-photon emission computed tomography with 123I-ADAM. The Benjamini-Hochberg method was applied to adjust for multiple comparisons. RESULTS No significant difference was found in the amygdala substructure volume and SERT availability between the two groups, respectively. Within MDD patients, the right medial, cortical nucleus, and centromedial volumes were positively associated with caudate SERT availability, respectively. Moreover, the right lateral nucleus volume in the amygdala was positively correlated with depression severity. However, these significances did not survive correction for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS There were no significant abnormalities in the amygdala substructure volumes and SERT availability in patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD. We did not observe an association between amygdala substructure volume and serotonergic dysregulation and their correlations with depression severity in patients with MDD. A larger sample size is warranted to elucidate the actual correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Wen Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 813414, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy and Master Program, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung, 90741, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Hwa Chou
- Center for Quality Management, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Jay Liou
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Chun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan
| | - Li-Yu Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chi Hsieh
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan
| | - Mu-N Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112201, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112304, Taiwan.
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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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Liu Q, Yang X, Luo M, Su J, Zhong J, Li X, Chan RHM, Wang L. An iterative neural processing sequence orchestrates feeding. Neuron 2023; 111:1651-1665.e5. [PMID: 36924773 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.025] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Feeding requires sophisticated orchestration of neural processes to satiate appetite in natural, capricious settings. However, the complementary roles of discrete neural populations in orchestrating distinct behaviors and motivations throughout the feeding process are largely unknown. Here, we delineate the behavioral repertoire of mice by developing a machine-learning-assisted behavior tracking system and show that feeding is fragmented and divergent motivations for food consumption or environment exploration compete throughout the feeding process. An iterative activation sequence of agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons in arcuate (ARC) nucleus, GABAergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), and in dorsal raphe (DR) orchestrate the preparation, initiation, and maintenance of feeding segments, respectively, via the resolution of motivational conflicts. The iterative neural processing sequence underlying the competition of divergent motivations further suggests a general rule for optimizing goal-directed behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Liu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xing Yang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Moxuan Luo
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Junying Su
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jinling Zhong
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaofen Li
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Rosa H M Chan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Mice deficient in synaptic protease neurotrypsin show impaired spaced long-term potentiation and blunted learning-induced modulation of dendritic spines. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:82. [PMID: 36871239 PMCID: PMC9986217 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04720-z] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Neurotrypsin (NT) is a neuronal trypsin-like serine protease whose mutations cause severe mental retardation in humans. NT is activated in vitro by Hebbian-like conjunction of pre- and postsynaptic activities, which promotes the formation of dendritic filopodia via proteolytic cleavage of the proteoglycan agrin. Here, we investigated the functional importance of this mechanism for synaptic plasticity, learning, and extinction of memory. We report that juvenile neurotrypsin-deficient (NT-/-) mice exhibit impaired long-term potentiation induced by a spaced stimulation protocol designed to probe the generation of new filopodia and their conversion into functional synapses. Behaviorally, juvenile NT-/- mice show impaired contextual fear memory and have a sociability deficit. The latter persists in aged NT-/- mice, which, unlike juvenile mice, show normal recall but impaired extinction of contextual fear memories. Structurally, juvenile mutants exhibit reduced spine density in the CA1 region, fewer thin spines, and no modulation in the density of dendritic spines following fear conditioning and extinction in contrast to wild-type littermates. The head width of thin spines is reduced in both juvenile and aged NT-/- mice. In vivo delivery of adeno-associated virus expressing an NT-generated fragment of agrin, agrin-22, but not a shorter agrin-15, elevates the spine density in NT-/- mice. Moreover, agrin-22 co-aggregates with pre- and postsynaptic markers and increases the density and size of presynaptic boutons and presynaptic puncta, corroborating the view that agrin-22 supports the synaptic growth.
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Montanez-Miranda C, Bramlett SN, Hepler JR. RGS14 expression in CA2 hippocampus, amygdala, and basal ganglia: Implications for human brain physiology and disease. Hippocampus 2023; 33:166-181. [PMID: 36541898 PMCID: PMC9974931 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RGS14 is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that is highly expressed within postsynaptic spines of pyramidal neurons in hippocampal area CA2. Known roles of RGS14 in CA2 include regulating G protein, H-Ras/ERK, and calcium signaling pathways to serve as a natural suppressor of synaptic plasticity and postsynaptic signaling. RGS14 also shows marked postsynaptic expression in major structures of the limbic system and basal ganglia, including the amygdala and both the ventral and dorsal subdivisions of the striatum. In this review, we discuss the signaling functions of RGS14 and its role in postsynaptic strength (long-term potentiation) and spine structural plasticity in CA2 hippocampal neurons, and how RGS14 suppression of plasticity impacts linked behaviors such as spatial learning, object memory, and fear conditioning. We also review RGS14 expression in the limbic system and basal ganglia and speculate on its possible roles in regulating plasticity in these regions, with a focus on behaviors related to emotion and motivation. Finally, we explore the functional implications of RGS14 in various brain circuits and speculate on its possible roles in certain disease states such as hippocampal seizures, addiction, and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John R. Hepler
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322-3090
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