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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] [MESH Headings] [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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2
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Kim EJ, Kong MS, Park S, Cho J, Kim JJ. Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats. eLife 2024; 12:RP88733. [PMID: 39133827 PMCID: PMC11318971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an 'approach food-avoid predator' task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation. Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an intermediary role in innate antipredatory-defensive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Mi-Seon Kong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Sanggeon Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Brain Disease Research Institute, Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jeiwon Cho
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Brain Disease Research Institute, Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jeansok John Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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3
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Ma J, O'Malley JJ, Kreiker M, Leng Y, Khan I, Kindel M, Penzo MA. Convergent direct and indirect cortical streams shape avoidance decisions in mice via the midline thalamus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6598. [PMID: 39097600 PMCID: PMC11297946 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50941-6] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Current concepts of corticothalamic organization in the mammalian brain are mainly based on sensory systems, with less focus on circuits for higher-order cognitive functions. In sensory systems, first-order thalamic relays are driven by subcortical inputs and modulated by cortical feedback, while higher-order relays receive strong excitatory cortical inputs. The applicability of these principles beyond sensory systems is uncertain. We investigated mouse prefronto-thalamic projections to the midline thalamus, revealing distinct top-down control. Unlike sensory systems, this pathway relies on indirect modulation via the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Specifically, the prelimbic area, which influences emotional and motivated behaviors, impacts instrumental avoidance responses through direct and indirect projections to the paraventricular thalamus. Both pathways promote defensive states, but the indirect pathway via the TRN is essential for organizing avoidance decisions through disinhibition. Our findings highlight intra-thalamic circuit dynamics that integrate cortical cognitive signals and their role in shaping complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - John J O'Malley
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Malaz Kreiker
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yan Leng
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isbah Khan
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Morgan Kindel
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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4
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Fischer C, Schreiber Y, Nitsch R, Vogt J, Thomas D, Geisslinger G, Tegeder I. Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptors LPAR5 and LPAR2 Inversely Control Hydroxychloroquine-Evoked Itch and Scratching in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8177. [PMID: 39125747 PMCID: PMC11312285 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158177] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) evoke nociception and itch in mice and humans. In this study, we assessed the signaling paths. Hydroxychloroquine was injected intradermally to evoke itch in mice, which evoked an increase of LPAs in the skin and in the thalamus, suggesting that peripheral and central LPA receptors (LPARs) were involved in HCQ-evoked pruriception. To unravel the signaling paths, we assessed the localization of candidate genes and itching behavior in knockout models addressing LPAR5, LPAR2, autotaxin/ENPP2 and the lysophospholipid phosphatases, as well as the plasticity-related genes Prg1/LPPR4 and Prg2/LPPR3. LacZ reporter studies and RNAscope revealed LPAR5 in neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and in skin keratinocytes, LPAR2 in cortical and thalamic neurons, and Prg1 in neuronal structures of the dorsal horn, thalamus and SSC. HCQ-evoked scratching behavior was reduced in sensory neuron-specific Advillin-LPAR5-/- mice (peripheral) but increased in LPAR2-/- and Prg1-/- mice (central), and it was not affected by deficiency of glial autotaxin (GFAP-ENPP2-/-) or Prg2 (PRG2-/-). Heat and mechanical nociception were not affected by any of the genotypes. The behavior suggested that HCQ-mediated itch involves the activation of peripheral LPAR5, which was supported by reduced itch upon treatment with an LPAR5 antagonist and autotaxin inhibitor. Further, HCQ-evoked calcium fluxes were reduced in primary sensory neurons of Advillin-LPAR5-/- mice. The results suggest that LPA-mediated itch is primarily mediated via peripheral LPAR5, suggesting that a topical LPAR5 blocker might suppress "non-histaminergic" itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Fischer
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (C.F.); (D.T.); (G.G.)
| | - Yannick Schreiber
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
| | - Robert Nitsch
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, WWU Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Johannes Vogt
- Department of Molecular and Translational Neurosciences, Institute for Anatomy and Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), and Cologne Excellence Cluster for Aging associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany;
| | - Dominique Thomas
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (C.F.); (D.T.); (G.G.)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
| | - Gerd Geisslinger
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (C.F.); (D.T.); (G.G.)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence of Immune Mediated Diseases (CIMD), 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (C.F.); (D.T.); (G.G.)
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Göntér K, Dombi Á, Kormos V, Pintér E, Pozsgai G. Examination of the Effect of Dimethyl Trisulfide in Acute Stress Mouse Model with the Potential Involvement of the TRPA1 Ion Channel. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7701. [PMID: 39062944 PMCID: PMC11277546 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147701] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Polysulfides are endogenously produced in mammals and generally associated with protective functions. Our aim was to investigate the effect of dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) in a mouse model of acute stress. DMTS activates transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channels and leads to neuropeptide release, potentially that of substance P (SP). We hypothesize that DMTS might inhibit the degrading enzymes of endocannabinoids, so this system was also investigated as another possible pathway for mediating the effects of DMTS. Trpa1 gene wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice were used to confirm the role of the TRPA1 ion channel in mediating the effects of DMTS. C57BL/6J, NK1 gene KO, and Tac1 gene KO mice were used to evaluate the effect of DMTS on the release and expression of SP. Some C57BL/6J animals were treated with AM251, an inhibitor of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor, to elucidate the role of the endocannabinoid system in these processes. Open field test (OFT) and forced swim test (FST) were performed in each mouse strain. A tail suspension test (TST) was performed in Trpa1 WT and KO animals. C-FOS immunohistochemistry was carried out on Trpa1 WT and KO animals. The DMTS treatment increased the number of highly active periods and decreased immobility time in the FST in WT animals, but had no effect on the Trpa1 KO mice. The DMTS administration induced neuronal activation in the Trpa1 WT mice in the stress-related brain areas, such as the locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, lateral septum, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. DMTS may have a potential role in the regulation of stress-related processes, and the TRPA1 ion channel may also be involved in mediating the effects of DMTS. DMTS can be an ideal candidate for further study as a potential remedy for stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitti Göntér
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (K.G.); (V.K.); (E.P.)
| | - Ágnes Dombi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary;
| | - Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (K.G.); (V.K.); (E.P.)
| | - Erika Pintér
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; (K.G.); (V.K.); (E.P.)
| | - Gábor Pozsgai
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary;
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Zhang Y, Jiang Y, Yu Z, Li Y, Lin X, Weng Y, Guo Z, Hu H, Shao W, Yu G, Zheng F, Cai P, Li H, Wu S. VGluT2 neuron subtypes in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus regulate depression in paraquat-induced Parkinson's disease. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 472:134559. [PMID: 38735189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease and approximately one third of patients with PD are estimated to experience depression. Paraquat (PQ) is the most widely used herbicide worldwide and PQ exposure is reported to induce PD with depression. However, the specific brain region and neural networks underlying the etiology of depression in PD, especially in the PQ-induced model, have not yet been elucidated. Here, we report that the VGluT2-positive glutamatergic neurons in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) promote depression in the PQ-induced PD mouse model. Our results show that PVTVGluT2 neurons are activated by PQ and their activation increases the susceptibility to depression in PD mice. Conversely, inhibition of PVTVGluT2 neurons reversed the depressive-behavioral changes induced by PQ. Similar to the effects of intervention the soma of PVTVGluT2 neurons, stimulation of their projections into the central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) also strongly influenced depression in PD mice. PQ induced malfunctioning of the glutamate system and changes in the dendritic and synaptic morphology in the CeA through its role on PVTVGluT2 neuronal activation. In summary, our results demonstrate that PVTVGluT2 neurons are key neuronal subtypes for depression in PQ-induced PD and promote depression processes through the PVTVGluT2-CeA pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yihua Jiang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Zhen Yu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yinhan Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Xinpei Lin
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yali Weng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Zhenkun Guo
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Hong Hu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Wenya Shao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Guangxia Yu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Fuli Zheng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Ping Cai
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Huangyuan Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
| | - Siying Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
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7
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Kim EJ, Kong MS, Park S, Cho J, Kim JJ. Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.19.541463. [PMID: 38559038 PMCID: PMC10979854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an 'approach food-avoid predator' task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation. Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an intermediary role in innate antipredatory defensive functioning.
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8
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Effinger DP, Hoffman JL, Mott SE, Magee SN, Quadir SG, Rollison CS, Toedt D, Echeveste Sanchez M, High MW, Hodge CW, Herman MA. Increased reactivity of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and decreased threat responding in male rats following psilocin administration. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5321. [PMID: 38909051 PMCID: PMC11193716 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49741-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Psychedelics have experienced renewed interest following positive clinical effects, however the neurobiological mechanisms underlying effects remain unclear. The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) plays an integral role in stress response, autonomic function, social behavior, and other affective processes. We investigated the effect of psilocin, the psychoactive metabolite of psilocybin, on PVN reactivity in Sprague Dawley rats. Psilocin increased stimulus-independent PVN activity as measured by c-Fos expression in male and female rats. Psilocin increased PVN reactivity to an aversive air-puff stimulus in males but not females. Reactivity was restored at 2- and 7-days post-injection with no group differences. Additionally, prior psilocin injection did not affect PVN reactivity following acute restraint stress. Experimental groups sub-classified by baseline threat responding indicate that increased male PVN reactivity is driven by active threat responders. These findings identify the PVN as a significant site of psychedelic drug action with implications for threat responding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin P Effinger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jessica L Hoffman
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sarah E Mott
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sarah N Magee
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sema G Quadir
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Christian S Rollison
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Daniel Toedt
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Maria Echeveste Sanchez
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Margaret W High
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Clyde W Hodge
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Melissa A Herman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Escobedo A, Holloway SA, Votoupal M, Cone AL, Skelton H, Legaria AA, Ndiokho I, Floyd T, Kravitz AV, Bruchas MR, Norris AJ. Glutamatergic supramammillary nucleus neurons respond to threatening stressors and promote active coping. eLife 2024; 12:RP90972. [PMID: 38829200 PMCID: PMC11147510 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Threat-response neural circuits are conserved across species and play roles in normal behavior and psychiatric diseases. Maladaptive changes in these neural circuits contribute to stress, mood, and anxiety disorders. Active coping in response to stressors is a psychosocial factor associated with resilience against stress-induced mood and anxiety disorders. The neural circuitry underlying active coping is poorly understood, but the functioning of these circuits could be key for overcoming anxiety and related disorders. The supramammillary nucleus (SuM) has been suggested to be engaged by threat. SuM has many projections and a poorly understood diversity of neural populations. In studies using mice, we identified a unique population of glutamatergic SuM neurons (SuMVGLUT2+::POA) based on projection to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) and found SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons have extensive arborizations. SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons project to brain areas that mediate features of the stress and threat responses including the paraventricular nucleus thalamus (PVT), periaqueductal gray (PAG), and habenula (Hb). Thus, SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons are positioned as a hub, connecting to areas implicated in regulating stress responses. Here we report SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons are recruited by diverse threatening stressors, and recruitment correlated with active coping behaviors. We found that selective photoactivation of the SuMVGLUT2+::POA population drove aversion but not anxiety like behaviors. Activation of SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons in the absence of acute stressors evoked active coping like behaviors and drove instrumental behavior. Also, activation of SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons was sufficient to convert passive coping strategies to active behaviors during acute stress. In contrast, we found activation of GABAergic (VGAT+) SuM neurons (SuMVGAT+) neurons did not alter drive aversion or active coping, but termination of photostimulation was followed by increased mobility in the forced swim test. These findings establish a new node in stress response circuitry that has projections to many brain areas and evokes flexible active coping behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Escobedo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Salli-Ann Holloway
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Megan Votoupal
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoUnited States
| | - Aaron L Cone
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Hannah Skelton
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Alex A Legaria
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Imeh Ndiokho
- Medical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeUnited States
| | - Tasheia Floyd
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Alexxai V Kravitz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Aaron J Norris
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
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Kawatake-Kuno A, Li H, Inaba H, Hikosaka M, Ishimori E, Ueki T, Garkun Y, Morishita H, Narumiya S, Oishi N, Ohtsuki G, Murai T, Uchida S. Sustained antidepressant effects of ketamine metabolite involve GABAergic inhibition-mediated molecular dynamics in aPVT glutamatergic neurons. Neuron 2024; 112:1265-1285.e10. [PMID: 38377990 PMCID: PMC11031324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.023] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Despite the rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of ketamine and its metabolites, their underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that the sustained antidepressant-like behavioral effects of (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK) in repeatedly stressed animal models involve neurobiological changes in the anterior paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (aPVT). Mechanistically, (2S,6S)-HNK induces mRNA expression of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors and subsequently enhances GABAA-receptor-mediated tonic currents, leading to the nuclear export of histone demethylase KDM6 and its replacement by histone methyltransferase EZH2. This process increases H3K27me3 levels, which in turn suppresses the transcription of genes associated with G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. Thus, our findings shed light on the comprehensive cellular and molecular mechanisms in aPVT underlying the sustained antidepressant behavioral effects of ketamine metabolites. This study may support the development of potentially effective next-generation pharmacotherapies to promote sustained remission of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Kawatake-Kuno
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029
| | - Haiyan Li
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Inaba
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Momoka Hikosaka
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Erina Ishimori
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Ueki
- Department of Integrative Anatomy, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Yury Garkun
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029
| | - Shuh Narumiya
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Naoya Oishi
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Gen Ohtsuki
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Toshiya Murai
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shusaku Uchida
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Integrative Anatomy, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan; Kyoto University Medical Science and Business Liaison Organization, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
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11
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Beas S, Khan I, Gao C, Loewinger G, Macdonald E, Bashford A, Rodriguez-Gonzalez S, Pereira F, Penzo MA. Dissociable encoding of motivated behavior by parallel thalamo-striatal projections. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1549-1560.e3. [PMID: 38458192 PMCID: PMC11003833 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.037] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The successful pursuit of goals requires the coordinated execution and termination of actions that lead to positive outcomes. This process relies on motivational states that are guided by internal drivers, such as hunger or fear. However, the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions are not fully understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a midline thalamic nucleus that shapes motivated behaviors via its projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc)1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and monitors internal state via interoceptive inputs from the hypothalamus and brainstem.3,9,10,11,12,13,14 Recent studies indicate that the PVT can be subdivided into two major neuronal subpopulations, namely PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-), which differ in genetic identity, functionality, and anatomical connectivity to other brain regions, including the NAc.4,15,16 In this study, we used fiber photometry to investigate the in vivo dynamics of these two distinct PVT neuronal types in mice performing a foraging-like behavioral task. We discovered that PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-) neurons encode the execution and termination of goal-oriented actions, respectively. Furthermore, activity in the PVTD2(+) neuronal population mirrored motivation parameters such as vigor and satiety. Similarly, PVTD2(-) neurons also mirrored some of these parameters, but to a much lesser extent. Importantly, these features were largely preserved when activity in PVT projections to the NAc was selectively assessed. Collectively, our results highlight the existence of two parallel thalamo-striatal projections that participate in the dynamic regulation of goal pursuits and provide insight into the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Beas
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Isbah Khan
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Claire Gao
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gabriel Loewinger
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emma Macdonald
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alison Bashford
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shakira Rodriguez-Gonzalez
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Francisco Pereira
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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12
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Li H, Kawatake-Kuno A, Inaba H, Miyake Y, Itoh Y, Ueki T, Oishi N, Murai T, Suzuki T, Uchida S. Discrete prefrontal neuronal circuits determine repeated stress-induced behavioral phenotypes in male mice. Neuron 2024; 112:786-804.e8. [PMID: 38228137 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.004] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Chronic stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, including depression. Although depression is a highly heterogeneous syndrome, it remains unclear how chronic stress drives individual differences in behavioral responses. In this study, we developed a subtyping-based approach wherein stressed male mice were divided into four subtypes based on their behavioral patterns of social interaction deficits and anhedonia, the core symptoms of psychiatric disorders. We identified three prefrontal cortical neuronal projections that regulate repeated stress-induced behavioral phenotypes. Among them, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)→anterior paraventricular thalamus (aPVT) pathway determines the specific behavioral subtype that exhibits both social deficits and anhedonia. Additionally, we identified the circuit-level molecular mechanism underlying this subtype: KDM5C-mediated epigenetic repression of Shisa2 transcription in aPVT projectors in the mPFC led to social deficits and anhedonia. Thus, we provide a set of biological aspects at the cellular, molecular, and epigenetic levels that determine distinctive stress-induced behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Li
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ayako Kawatake-Kuno
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Inaba
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yuka Miyake
- SANKEN, Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka 567-0047, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Itoh
- SANKEN, Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka 567-0047, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Ueki
- Department of Integrative Anatomy, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan
| | - Naoya Oishi
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Toshiya Murai
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Suzuki
- SANKEN, Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka 567-0047, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Shusaku Uchida
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; Kyoto University Medical Science and Business Liaison Organization, Medical Innovation Center, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan; Department of Integrative Anatomy, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
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13
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Li SH, Li S, Kirouac GJ. Analysis of Monosynaptic Inputs to Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Neurons Innervating the Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens and Central Extended Amygdala. Neuroscience 2024; 537:151-164. [PMID: 38056620 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.11.033] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) sends dense projections to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh), dorsolateral region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and the lateral region of central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). Projection specific modulation of these pathways has been shown to regulate appetitive and aversive behavioral responses. The present investigation applied an intersectional monosynaptic rabies tracing approach to quantify the brain-wide sources of afferent input to PVT neurons that primarily project to the NAcSh, BSTDL and CeL. The results demonstrate that these projection neurons receive monosynaptic input from similar brain regions. The prefrontal cortex and the ventral subiculum of the hippocampus were major sources of input to the PVT projection neurons. In addition, the lateral septal nucleus, thalamic reticular nucleus and the hypothalamic medial preoptic area, dorsomedial, ventromedial, and arcuate nuclei were sources of input. The subfornical organ, parasubthalamic nucleus, periaqueductal gray matter, lateral parabrachial nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract were consistent but lesser sources of input. This input-output relationship is consistent with recent observations that PVT neurons have axons that bifurcate extensively to divergently innervate the NAcSh, BSTDL and CeL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Hong Li
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0W2, Canada
| | - Sa Li
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0W2, Canada
| | - Gilbert J Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0W2, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0W2, Canada.
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14
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Beas S, Khan I, Gao C, Loewinger G, Macdonald E, Bashford A, Rodriguez-Gonzalez S, Pereira F, Penzo MA. Dissociable encoding of motivated behavior by parallel thalamo-striatal projections. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.07.548113. [PMID: 37781624 PMCID: PMC10541145 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.07.548113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The successful pursuit of goals requires the coordinated execution and termination of actions that lead to positive outcomes. This process is thought to rely on motivational states that are guided by internal drivers, such as hunger or fear. However, the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions are not fully understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a midline thalamic nucleus that shapes motivated behaviors via its projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc)1-8 and monitors internal state via interoceptive inputs from the hypothalamus and brainstem3,9-14. Recent studies indicate that the PVT can be subdivided into two major neuronal subpopulations, namely PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-), which differ in genetic identity, functionality, and anatomical connectivity to other brain regions, including the NAc4,15,16. In this study, we used fiber photometry to investigate the in vivo dynamics of these two distinct PVT neuronal types in mice performing a reward foraging-like behavioral task. We discovered that PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-) neurons encode the execution and termination of goal-oriented actions, respectively. Furthermore, activity in the PVTD2(+) neuronal population mirrored motivation parameters such as vigor and satiety. Similarly, PVTD2(-) neurons, also mirrored some of these parameters but to a much lesser extent. Importantly, these features were largely preserved when activity in PVT projections to the NAc was selectively assessed. Collectively, our results highlight the existence of two parallel thalamo-striatal projections that participate in the dynamic regulation of goal pursuits and provide insight into the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Beas
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Isbah Khan
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Claire Gao
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gabriel Loewinger
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emma Macdonald
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alison Bashford
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Francisco Pereira
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario A. Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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15
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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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16
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Dorst KE, Senne RA, Diep AH, de Boer AR, Suthard RL, Leblanc H, Ruesch EA, Pyo AY, Skelton S, Carstensen LC, Malmberg S, McKissick OP, Bladon JH, Ramirez S. Hippocampal Engrams Generate Variable Behavioral Responses and Brain-Wide Network States. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0340232023. [PMID: 38050098 PMCID: PMC10860633 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0340-23.2023] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Freezing is a defensive behavior commonly examined during hippocampal-mediated fear engram reactivation. How these cellular populations engage the brain and modulate freezing across varying environmental demands is unclear. To address this, we optogenetically reactivated a fear engram in the dentate gyrus subregion of the hippocampus across three distinct contexts in male mice. We found that there were differential amounts of light-induced freezing depending on the size of the context in which reactivation occurred: mice demonstrated robust light-induced freezing in the most spatially restricted of the three contexts but not in the largest. We then utilized graph theoretical analyses to identify brain-wide alterations in cFos expression during engram reactivation across the smallest and largest contexts. Our manipulations induced positive interregional cFos correlations that were not observed in control conditions. Additionally, regions spanning putative "fear" and "defense" systems were recruited as hub regions in engram reactivation networks. Lastly, we compared the network generated from engram reactivation in the small context with a natural fear memory retrieval network. Here, we found shared characteristics such as modular composition and hub regions. By identifying and manipulating the circuits supporting memory function, as well as their corresponding brain-wide activity patterns, it is thereby possible to resolve systems-level biological mechanisms mediating memory's capacity to modulate behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E Dorst
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan A Senne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Anh H Diep
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Antje R de Boer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca L Suthard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Heloise Leblanc
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Evan A Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Y Pyo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Skelton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Lucas C Carstensen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Samantha Malmberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Olivia P McKissick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - John H Bladon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
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17
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Ferrara NC, Che A, Briones B, Padilla-Coreano N, Lovett-Barron M, Opendak M. Neural Circuit Transitions Supporting Developmentally Specific Social Behavior. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7456-7462. [PMID: 37940586 PMCID: PMC10634550 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1377-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmentally appropriate social behavior is critical for survival across the lifespan. To support this flexible behavior, the brain must rapidly perform numerous computations taking into account sensation, memory, motor-control, and many other systems. Further complicating this process, individuals must perform distinct social behaviors adapted to the unique demands of each developmental stage; indeed, the social behaviors of the newborn would not be appropriate in adulthood and vice versa. However, our understanding of the neural circuit transitions supporting these behavioral transitions has been limited. Recent advances in neural circuit dissection tools, as well as adaptation of these tools for use at early time points, has helped uncover several novel mechanisms supporting developmentally appropriate social behavior. This review, and associated Minisymposium, bring together social neuroscience research across numerous model organisms and ages. Together, this work highlights developmentally regulated neural mechanisms and functional transitions in the roles of the sensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, habenula, and the thalamus to support social interaction from infancy to adulthood. These studies underscore the need for synthesis across varied model organisms and across ages to advance our understanding of flexible social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Alicia Che
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Brandy Briones
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Nancy Padilla-Coreano
- Evelyn F. & William McKnight Brain Institute and Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - Matthew Lovett-Barron
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Maya Opendak
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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18
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Shima Y, Skibbe H, Sasagawa Y, Fujimori N, Iwayama Y, Isomura-Matoba A, Yano M, Ichikawa T, Nikaido I, Hattori N, Kato T. Distinctiveness and continuity in transcriptome and connectivity in the anterior-posterior axis of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113309. [PMID: 37862168 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) projects axons to multiple areas, mediates a wide range of behaviors, and exhibits regional heterogeneity in both functions and axonal projections. Still, questions regarding the cell types present in the PVT and the extent of their differences remain inadequately addressed. We applied single-cell RNA sequencing to depict the transcriptomic characteristics of mouse PVT neurons. We found that one of the most significant variances in the PVT transcriptome corresponded to the anterior-posterior axis. While the single-cell transcriptome classified PVT neurons into five types, our transcriptomic and histological analyses showed continuity among the cell types. We discovered that anterior and posterior subpopulations had nearly non-overlapping projection patterns, while another population showed intermediate patterns. In addition, these subpopulations responded differently to appetite-related neuropeptides, with their activation showing opposing effects on food consumption. Our studies unveiled the contrasts and the continuity of PVT neurons that underpin their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Shima
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Collaborative Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Laboratory of Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Henrik Skibbe
- Brain Image Analysis Unit, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yohei Sasagawa
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Functional Genome Informatics, Division of Biological Data Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Noriko Fujimori
- Laboratory of Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Support Unit for Bio-Material Analysis, Research Resource Division, Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Iwayama
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Functional Genome Informatics, Division of Biological Data Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Ayako Isomura-Matoba
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Minoru Yano
- Department of Functional Genome Informatics, Division of Biological Data Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Takumi Ichikawa
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Functional Genome Informatics, Division of Biological Data Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Itoshi Nikaido
- Laboratory for Bioinformatics Research, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Functional Genome Informatics, Division of Biological Data Science, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hattori
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Collaborative Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Neurology, Juntendo University, Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Tadafumi Kato
- Laboratory of Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University, Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathology of Mood Disorders, Juntendo University, Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
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19
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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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20
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Rivera-Irizarry JK, Hámor PU, Rowson SA, Asfouri J, Liu D, Zallar LJ, Garcia AF, Skelly MJ, Pleil KE. Valence and salience encoding by parallel circuits from the paraventricular thalamus to the nucleus accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.03.547570. [PMID: 37461604 PMCID: PMC10349961 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.03.547570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The anterior and posterior subregions of the paraventricular thalamus (aPVT and pPVT, respectively) play unique roles in learned behaviors, from fear conditioning to alcohol/drug intake, potentially through differentially organized projections to limbic brain regions including the nucleus accumbens medial shell (mNAcSh). Here, we found that the aPVT projects broadly to the mNAcSh and that the aPVT-mNAcSh circuit encodes positive valence, such that in vivo manipulations of the circuit modulated both innately programmed and learned behavioral responses to positively and negatively valenced stimuli, particularly in females. Further, the endogenous activity of aPVT presynaptic terminals in the mNAcSh was greater in response to positively than negatively valenced stimuli, and the probability of synaptic glutamate release from aPVT neurons in the mNAcSh was higher in females than males. In contrast, we found that the pPVT-mNAcSh circuit encodes stimulus salience regardless of valence. While pPVT-mNAcSh circuit inhibition suppressed behavioral responses in both sexes, circuit activation increased behavioral responses to stimuli only in males. Our results point to circuit-specific stimulus feature encoding by parallel PVT-mNAcSh circuits that have sex-dependent biases in organization and function.
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21
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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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22
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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23
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Gao C, Gohel CA, Leng Y, Ma J, Goldman D, Levine AJ, Penzo MA. Molecular and spatial profiling of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. eLife 2023; 12:81818. [PMID: 36867023 PMCID: PMC10014079 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is known to regulate various cognitive and behavioral processes. However, while functional diversity among PVT circuits has often been linked to cellular differences, the molecular identity and spatial distribution of PVT cell types remain unclear. To address this gap, here we used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and identified five molecularly distinct PVT neuronal subtypes in the mouse brain. Additionally, multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization of top marker genes revealed that PVT subtypes are organized by a combination of previously unidentified molecular gradients. Lastly, comparing our dataset with a recently published single-cell sequencing atlas of the thalamus yielded novel insight into the PVT's connectivity with the cortex, including unexpected innervation of auditory and visual areas. This comparison also revealed that our data contains a largely non-overlapping transcriptomic map of multiple midline thalamic nuclei. Collectively, our findings uncover previously unknown features of the molecular diversity and anatomical organization of the PVT and provide a valuable resource for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Gao
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Chiraag A Gohel
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Yan Leng
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jun Ma
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Ariel J Levine
- National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentBethesdaUnited States
| | - Mario A Penzo
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
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24
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Li L, Zhang H, Zheng Z, Ma N, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Zhang J, Su S, Zang W, Shao J, Cao J. Perioperative sleep deprivation activates the paraventricular thalamic nucleus resulting in persistent postoperative incisional pain in mice. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:1074310. [PMID: 36620195 PMCID: PMC9813598 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.1074310] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The duration of postsurgical pain is closely correlated with perioperative stress. Most patients suffer short-term sleep disorder/deprivation before and/or after surgery, which leads to extended postsurgical pain by an undetermined mechanism. The paraventricular thalamus (PVT) is a critical area that contributes to the regulation of feeding, awakening, and emotional states. However, whether the middle PVT is involved in postoperative pain or the extension of postoperative pain caused by perioperative sleep deprivation has not yet been investigated. Methods We established a model of postoperative pain by plantar incision with perioperative rapid eye movement sleep deprivation (REMSD) 6 h/day for 3 consecutive days in mice. The excitability of the CaMKIIα+ neurons in the middle PVT (mPVTCaMKIIα) was detected by immunofluorescence and fiber photometry. The activation/inhibition of mPVTCaMKIIα neurons was conducted by chemogenetics. Results REMSD prolonged the duration of postsurgical pain and increased the excitability of mPVTCaMKIIα neurons. In addition, mPVTCaMKIIα neurons showed increased excitability in response to nociceptive stimuli or painful conditions. However, REMSD did not delay postsurgical pain recovery following the ablation of CaMKIIα neurons in the mPVT. The activation of mPVTCaMKIIα neurons prolonged the duration of postsurgical pain and elicited anxiety-like behaviors. In contrast, inhibition of mPVTCaMKIIα neurons reduced the postsurgical pain after REMSD. Conclusion Our data revealed that the CaMKIIα neurons in the mPVT are involved in the extension of the postsurgical pain duration induced by REMSD, and represented a novel potential target to treat postoperative pain induced by REMSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Huijie Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhenli Zheng
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,Department of Medical Record Management, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Nan Ma
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yidan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yaping Liu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Songxue Su
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Weidong Zang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,Neuroscience Research Institute, Zhengzhou University Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Jinping Shao
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,Neuroscience Research Institute, Zhengzhou University Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,*Correspondence: Jinping Shao,
| | - Jing Cao
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,Neuroscience Research Institute, Zhengzhou University Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan, China,Jing Cao,
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25
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Zhao J, Liu C, Zhang F, Zheng Z, Luo F, Xia J, Wang Y, Zhang Z, Tang J, Song Z, Li S, Xu K, Chen M, Jiang C, He C, Tang L, Hu Z, Gao D, Ren S. A paraventricular thalamus to central amygdala neural circuit modulates acute stress-induced heightened wakefulness. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111824. [PMID: 36516774 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111824] [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: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heightened wakefulness in response to stressors is essential for survival but can also lead to sleep disorders like insomnia. The paraventricular thalamus (PVT) is both a critical thalamic area for wakefulness and a stress-sensitive brain region. However, whether the PVT and its neural circuitries are involved in controlling wakefulness in stress conditions remains unknown. Here, we find that PVT neurons projecting to the central amygdala (CeA) are activated by different stressors. These neurons are wakefulness-active and increase their activities upon sleep to wakefulness transitions. Optogenetic activation of the PVT-CeA circuit evokes transitions from sleep to wakefulness, whereas selectively silencing the activity of this circuit decreases time spent in wakefulness. Specifically, chemogenetic inhibition of CeA-projecting PVT neurons not only alleviates stress responses but also attenuates the acute stress-induced increase of wakefulness. Thus, our results demonstrate that the PVT-CeA circuit controls physiological wakefulness and modulates acute stress-induced heightened wakefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Zhao
- Department of Sleep and Psychology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China; Department of Neurology, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Chengyu Liu
- Department of Sleep and Psychology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China; Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400050, China
| | - Fenyan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Ziyi Zheng
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Fenlan Luo
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jianxia Xia
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yaling Wang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Zehui Zhang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Jinxiang Tang
- Sleep and Psychology Center, Bishan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402760, China
| | - Zhenbo Song
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Siyu Li
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Kan Xu
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Mengting Chen
- Department of Sleep and Psychology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Chenggang Jiang
- Psychology Department, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 401147, China
| | - Chao He
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Ling Tang
- Department of Neurology, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 401331, China.
| | - Zhian Hu
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Chongqing Institute for Brain and Intelligence, Guangyang Bay Laboratory, Chongqing 400064, China.
| | - Dong Gao
- Department of Sleep and Psychology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
| | - Shuancheng Ren
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Army 953 Hospital, Army Medical University, Shigatse 857000, China.
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26
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Moscarello JM, Penzo MA. The central nucleus of the amygdala and the construction of defensive modes across the threat-imminence continuum. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:999-1008. [PMID: 35915178 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01130-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In nature, animals display defensive behaviors that reflect the spatiotemporal distance of threats. Laboratory-based paradigms that elicit specific defensive responses in rodents have provided valuable insight into the brain mechanisms that mediate the construction of defensive modes with varying degrees of threat imminence. In this Review, we discuss accumulating evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays a key role in this process. Specifically, we propose that the mutually inhibitory circuits of the CeA use a winner-takes-all strategy that supports transitioning across defensive modes and the execution of specific defensive behaviors to previously formed threat associations. Our proposal provides a conceptual framework in which seemingly divergent observations regarding CeA function can be interpreted and identifies various areas of priority for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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27
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Li H, Namburi P, Olson JM, Borio M, Lemieux ME, Beyeler A, Calhoon GG, Hitora-Imamura N, Coley AA, Libster A, Bal A, Jin X, Wang H, Jia C, Choudhury SR, Shi X, Felix-Ortiz AC, de la Fuente V, Barth VP, King HO, Izadmehr EM, Revanna JS, Batra K, Fischer KB, Keyes LR, Padilla-Coreano N, Siciliano CA, McCullough KM, Wichmann R, Ressler KJ, Fiete IR, Zhang F, Li Y, Tye KM. Neurotensin orchestrates valence assignment in the amygdala. Nature 2022; 608:586-592. [PMID: 35859170 PMCID: PMC9583860 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04964-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to associate temporally segregated information and assign positive or negative valence to environmental cues is paramount for survival. Studies have shown that different projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) are potentiated following reward or punishment learning1-7. However, we do not yet understand how valence-specific information is routed to the BLA neurons with the appropriate downstream projections, nor do we understand how to reconcile the sub-second timescales of synaptic plasticity8-11 with the longer timescales separating the predictive cues from their outcomes. Here we demonstrate that neurotensin (NT)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) projecting to the BLA (PVT-BLA:NT) mediate valence assignment by exerting NT concentration-dependent modulation in BLA during associative learning. We found that optogenetic activation of the PVT-BLA:NT projection promotes reward learning, whereas PVT-BLA projection-specific knockout of the NT gene (Nts) augments punishment learning. Using genetically encoded calcium and NT sensors, we further revealed that both calcium dynamics within the PVT-BLA:NT projection and NT concentrations in the BLA are enhanced after reward learning and reduced after punishment learning. Finally, we showed that CRISPR-mediated knockout of the Nts gene in the PVT-BLA pathway blunts BLA neural dynamics and attenuates the preference for active behavioural strategies to reward and punishment predictive cues. In sum, we have identified NT as a neuropeptide that signals valence in the BLA, and showed that NT is a critical neuromodulator that orchestrates positive and negative valence assignment in amygdala neurons by extending valence-specific plasticity to behaviourally relevant timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Praneeth Namburi
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacob M Olson
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Matilde Borio
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mackenzie E Lemieux
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna Beyeler
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- University of Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, INSERM 1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gwendolyn G Calhoon
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, USA
| | - Natsuko Hitora-Imamura
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Austin A Coley
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Avraham Libster
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aneesh Bal
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Society of Fellows, Harvard University, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Huan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Beijing, China
| | - Caroline Jia
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Xi Shi
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ada C Felix-Ortiz
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Verónica de la Fuente
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vanessa P Barth
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Hunter O King
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ehsan M Izadmehr
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jasmin S Revanna
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kanha Batra
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kyle B Fischer
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laurel R Keyes
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Cody A Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kenneth M McCullough
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Romy Wichmann
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ila R Fiete
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Feng Zhang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Beijing, China
| | - Kay M Tye
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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28
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Garau C, Liu X, Calo G, Schulz S, Reinscheid RK. Neuropeptide S Encodes Stimulus Salience in the Paraventricular Thalamus. Neuroscience 2022; 496:83-95. [PMID: 35710064 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.06.013] [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: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Evaluation of stimulus salience is critical for any higher organism, as it allows for prioritizing of vital information, preparation of responses, and formation of valuable memory. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has recently been identified as an integrator of stimulus salience but the neurochemical basis and afferent input regarding salience signaling have remained elusive. Here we report that neuropeptide S (NPS) signaling in the PVT is necessary for stimulus salience encoding, including aversive, neutral and reinforcing sensory input. Taking advantage of a striking deficit of both NPS receptor (NPSR1) and NPS precursor knockout mice in fear extinction or novel object memory formation, we demonstrate that intra-PVT injections of NPS can rescue the phenotype in NPS precursor knockout mice by increasing the salience of otherwise low-intensity stimuli, while intra-PVT injections of NPSR1 antagonist in wild type mice partially replicates the knockout phenotype. The PVT appears to provide stimulus salience encoding in a dose- and NPS-dependent manner. PVT NPSR1 neurons recruit the nucleus accumbens shell and structures in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, which were previously linked to the brain salience network. Overall, these results demonstrate that stimulus salience encoding is critically associated with NPS activity in the PVT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Garau
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Xiaobin Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Girolamo' Calo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Rainer K Reinscheid
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
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29
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McNamara EH, Tucker LB, Liu J, Fu AH, Kim Y, Vu PA, McCabe JT. Limbic Responses Following Shock Wave Exposure in Male and Female Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:863195. [PMID: 35747840 PMCID: PMC9210954 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.863195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) presents a serious threat to military personnel and often results in psychiatric conditions related to limbic system dysfunction. In this study, the functional outcomes for anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal activation were evaluated in male and female mice after exposure to an Advanced Blast Simulator (ABS) shock wave. Mice were placed in a ventrally exposed orientation inside of the ABS test section and received primary and tertiary shock wave insults of approximately 15 psi peak pressure. Evans blue staining indicated cases of blood-brain barrier breach in the superficial cerebral cortex four, but not 24 h after blast, but the severity was variable. Behavioral testing with the elevated plus maze (EPM) or elevated zero maze (EZM), sucrose preference test (SPT), and tail suspension test (TST) or forced swim test (FST) were conducted 8 days–3.5 weeks after shock wave exposure. There was a sex difference, but no injury effect, for distance travelled in the EZM where female mice travelled significantly farther than males. The SPT and FST did not indicate group differences; however, injured mice were less immobile than sham mice during the TST; possibly indicating more agitated behavior. In a separate cohort of animals, the expression of the immediate early gene, c-Fos, was detected 4 h after undergoing bTBI or sham procedures. No differences in c-Fos expression were found in the cerebral cortex, but female mice in general displayed enhanced c-Fos activation in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) compared to male mice. In the amygdala, more c-Fos-positive cells were observed in injured animals compared to sham mice. The observed sex differences in the PVT and c-Fos activation in the amygdala may correlate with the reported hyperactivity of females post-injury. This study demonstrates, albeit with mild effects, behavioral and neuronal activation correlates in female rodents after blast injury that could be relevant to the incidence of increased post-traumatic stress disorder in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen H. McNamara
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Laura B. Tucker
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Pre-Clinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jiong Liu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Amanda H. Fu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Pre-Clinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yeonho Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Pre-Clinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Patricia A. Vu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Joseph T. McCabe
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Pre-Clinical Studies Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Joseph T. McCabe,
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30
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Narushima M, Agetsuma M, Nabekura J. Development and experience-dependent modulation of the defensive behaviors of mice to visual threats. J Physiol Sci 2022; 72:5. [PMID: 35255805 PMCID: PMC10717832 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-022-00831-7] [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: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Rodents demonstrate defensive behaviors such as fleeing or freezing upon recognizing a looming shadow above them. Although individuals' experiences in their habitat can modulate the defensive behavior phenotype, the effects of systematically manipulating the individual's visual experience on vision-guided defensive behaviors have not been studied. We aimed to describe the developmental process of defensive behaviors in response to visual threats and the effects of visual deprivation. We found that the probability of escape response occurrence increased 3 weeks postnatally, and then stabilized. When visual experience was perturbed by dark rearing from postnatal day (P) 21 for a week, the developmental increase in escape probability was clearly suppressed, while the freezing probability increased. Intriguingly, exposure to the looming stimuli at P28 reversed the suppression of escape response development at P35. These results clearly indicate that the development of defensive behaviors in response to looming stimuli is affected by an individual's sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madoka Narushima
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Masakazu Agetsuma
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Junichi Nabekura
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 38 Nishigonaka Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
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31
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Kanai M, Kamiizawa R, Hitora-Imamura N, Minami M. Exposure to hot and cold environments activates neurons projecting from the paraventricular thalamic nucleus to brain regions related to approach and avoidance behaviors. J Therm Biol 2022; 103:103157. [PMID: 35027193 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although cool- and warm-seeking behaviors for behavioral thermoregulation are considered to be appetitive/approach and aversive/avoidance behaviors, the neuronal circuits mediating such behaviors remain to be elucidated. A growing body of evidence suggests that the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) is a key brain region in a neuronal circuit that mediates appetitive/approach and aversive/avoidance behaviors. In this study, to elucidate the neuronal circuits mediating behavioral thermoregulatory responses, we examined whether neuronal pathways from the PVT to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), which are brain regions implicated in mediating appetitive/approach and aversive/avoidance behaviors, are activated during exposure to hot (38°C) and cold (8°C) environments using c-Fos immunostaining and retrograde tracing. Our results showed activation of neuronal pathways from the PVT to the NAc, BNST, and CeA during exposure to hot and cold environments, suggesting that activation of these pathways may be involved in avoidance behaviors from hot and cold environments for behavioral thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minami Kanai
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Ryota Kamiizawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Natsuko Hitora-Imamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Masabumi Minami
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
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