1
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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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Basu A, Yang JH, Yu A, Glaeser-Khan S, Rondeau JA, Feng J, Krystal JH, Li Y, Kaye AP. Frontal Norepinephrine Represents a Threat Prediction Error Under Uncertainty. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:256-267. [PMID: 38316333 PMCID: PMC11269024 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To adapt to threats in the environment, animals must predict them and engage in defensive behavior. While the representation of a prediction error signal for reward has been linked to dopamine, a neuromodulatory prediction error for aversive learning has not been identified. METHODS We measured and manipulated norepinephrine release during threat learning using optogenetics and a novel fluorescent norepinephrine sensor. RESULTS We found that norepinephrine response to conditioned stimuli reflects aversive memory strength. When delays between auditory stimuli and footshock are introduced, norepinephrine acts as a prediction error signal. However, temporal difference prediction errors do not fully explain norepinephrine dynamics. To explain noradrenergic signaling, we used an updated reinforcement learning model with uncertainty about time and found that it explained norepinephrine dynamics across learning and variations in temporal and auditory task structure. CONCLUSIONS Norepinephrine thus combines cognitive and affective information into a predictive signal and links time with the anticipation of danger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakash Basu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jen-Hau Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Abigail Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Jocelyne A Rondeau
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jiesi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - John H Krystal
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Veterans Administration National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China; Peking University-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Alfred P Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Clinical Neuroscience Division, Veterans Administration National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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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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Vieira JB, Olsson A. The convergence between defence and care in mammals. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:714-725. [PMID: 38749809 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.04.011] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
The motivations to protect oneself and others have often been seen as conflicting. Here, we discuss recent evidence that self-defensive mechanisms may in fact be recruited to enable the helping of others. In some instances, the defensive response to a threat may even be more decisive in promoting helping than the response to a conspecific's distress (as predicted by empathy-altruism models). In light of this evidence, we propose that neural mechanisms implicated in self-defence may have been repurposed through evolution to enable the protection of others, and that defence and care may be convergent rather than conflicting functions. Finally, we present and discuss a working model of the shared brain mechanisms implicated in defence of both self and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana B Vieira
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
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5
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Wang L, Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, He S. Reply to 'Fear, anxiety and the functional architecture of the human central extended amygdala'. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:589-590. [PMID: 38858580 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00834-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Liping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yu-Ting Tseng
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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6
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Shackman AJ, Grogans SE, Fox AS. Fear, anxiety and the functional architecture of the human central extended amygdala. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:587-588. [PMID: 38858579 PMCID: PMC11262955 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00832-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA.
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA.
- Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Shannon E Grogans
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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7
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Piszczek L, Haubensak W. Neuroethology: Fear outside the box. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R685-R687. [PMID: 39043141 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral neuroscience has successfully and in great detail deconstructed circuit mechanisms underlying fear behaviors using reductionist approaches. Recent research in more naturalistic settings now reveals additional higher-level organization, where hypothalamic circuits multiplex threat detection and fear memory updating to safely navigate complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Piszczek
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wulf Haubensak
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Cornwell BR, Didier PR, Grogans SE, Anderson AS, Islam S, Kim HC, Kuhn M, Tillman RM, Hur J, Scott ZS, Fox AS, DeYoung KA, Smith JF, Shackman AJ. A shared threat-anticipation circuit is dynamically engaged at different moments by certain and uncertain threat. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.10.602972. [PMID: 39026814 PMCID: PMC11257510 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.10.602972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Temporal dynamics play a central role in models of emotion: "fear" is widely conceptualized as a phasic response to certain-and-imminent danger, whereas "anxiety" is a sustained response to uncertain-or-distal harm. Yet the underlying human neurobiology remains contentious. Leveraging an ethnoracially diverse sample, translationally relevant paradigm, and theory-driven modeling approach, we demonstrate that certain and uncertain threat recruit a shared threat-anticipation circuit. This circuit exhibits persistently elevated activation when anticipating uncertain threat encounters and a transient burst of activation in the moments before certain encounters. For many scientists and clinicians, feelings are the defining feature of human fear and anxiety. Here we used an independently validated brain signature to covertly decode the momentary dynamics of anticipatory distress for the first time. Results mirrored the dynamics of neural activation. These observations provide fresh insights into the neurobiology of threat-elicited emotions and set the stage for more ambitious clinical and mechanistic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Cornwell
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20006 USA
| | - Paige R. Didier
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Shannon E. Grogans
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Allegra S. Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Samiha Islam
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Hyung Cho Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Manuel Kuhn
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | | | - Juyoen Hur
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Zachary S. Scott
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology , University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
- Department of California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Kathryn A. DeYoung
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Jason F. Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Alexander J. Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
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9
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Zhang BB, Ling XY, Shen QY, Zhang YX, Li QX, Xie ST, Li HZ, Zhang QP, Yung WH, Wang JJ, Ke Y, Zhang XY, Zhu JN. Suppression of excitatory synaptic transmission in the centrolateral amygdala via presynaptic histamine H3 heteroreceptors. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38953534 DOI: 10.1113/jp286392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The central histaminergic system has a pivotal role in emotional regulation and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. However, the effect of histamine on neuronal activity of the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), an essential node for fear and anxiety processing, remains unknown. Here, using immunostaining and whole-cell patch clamp recording combined with optogenetic manipulation of histaminergic terminals in CeL slices prepared from histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-Cre rats, we show that histamine selectively suppresses excitatory synaptic transmissions, including glutamatergic transmission from the basolateral amygdala, on both PKC-δ- and SOM-positive CeL neurons. The histamine-induced effect is mediated by H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1-/VGLUT2-positive presynaptic terminals in CeL. Furthermore, optoactivation of histaminergic afferent terminals from the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) also significantly suppresses glutamatergic transmissions in CeL via H3 receptors. Histamine neither modulates inhibitory synaptic transmission by presynaptic H3 receptors nor directly excites CeL neurons by postsynaptic H1, H2 or H4 receptors. These results suggest that histaminergic afferent inputs and presynaptic H3 heteroreceptors may hold a critical position in balancing excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmissions in CeL by selective modulation of glutamatergic drive, which may not only account for the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders but also provide potential psychotherapeutic targets. KEY POINTS: Histamine selectively suppresses the excitatory, rather than inhibitory, synaptic transmissions on both PKC-δ- and SOM-positive neurons in the centrolateral amygdala (CeL). H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1- or VGLUT2-positive afferent terminals mediate the suppression of histamine on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in CeL. Optogenetic activation of hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN)-CeL histaminergic projections inhibits glutamatergic transmission in CeL via H3 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei-Bei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin-Yu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing-Yi Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang-Xun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian-Xiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shu-Tao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Zhao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi-Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wing-Ho Yung
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jian-Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya Ke
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing-Ning Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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10
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Demaestri C, Pisciotta M, Altunkeser N, Berry G, Hyland H, Breton J, Darling A, Williams B, Bath KG. Central amygdala CRF+ neurons promote heightened threat reactivity following early life adversity in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5522. [PMID: 38951506 PMCID: PMC11217353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49828-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Failure to appropriately predict and titrate reactivity to threat is a core feature of fear and anxiety-related disorders and is common following early life adversity (ELA). A population of neurons in the lateral central amygdala (CeAL) expressing corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) have been proposed to be key in processing threat of different intensities to mediate active fear expression. Here, we use in vivo fiber photometry to show that ELA results in sex-specific changes in the activity of CeAL CRF+ neurons, yielding divergent mechanisms underlying the augmented startle in ELA mice, a translationally relevant behavior indicative of heightened threat reactivity and hypervigilance. Further, chemogenic inhibition of CeAL CRF+ neurons selectively diminishes startle and produces a long-lasting suppression of threat reactivity. These findings identify a mechanism for sex-differences in susceptibility for anxiety following ELA and have broad implications for understanding the neural circuitry that encodes and gates the behavioral expression of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Margaux Pisciotta
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naira Altunkeser
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Georgia Berry
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Hyland
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jocelyn Breton
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Darling
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brenna Williams
- Doctoral Program in Cellular and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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11
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. Neuron 2024; 112:2062-2078.e7. [PMID: 38614102 PMCID: PMC11250624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and maladaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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12
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Nentwig TB, Obray JD, Kruyer A, Wilkes ET, Vaughan DT, Scofield MD, Chandler LJ. Central Amygdala Astrocyte Plasticity Underlies GABAergic Dysregulation in Ethanol Dependence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.11.598470. [PMID: 38915577 PMCID: PMC11195260 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.11.598470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Dependence is a hallmark of alcohol use disorder characterized by excessive alcohol intake and withdrawal symptoms. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a key brain structure underlying the synaptic and behavioral consequences of ethanol dependence. While accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes regulate synaptic transmission and behavior, there is a limited understanding of the role astrocytes play in ethanol dependence. The present study used a combination of viral labeling, super resolution confocal microscopy, 3D image analysis, and slice electrophysiology to determine the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure on astrocyte plasticity in the CeA. During withdrawal from CIE exposure, we observed increased GABA transmission, an upregulation in astrocytic GAT3 levels, and an increased proximity of astrocyte processes near CeA synapses. Furthermore, GAT3 levels and synaptic proximity were positively associated with voluntary ethanol drinking in dependent rats. Slice electrophysiology confirmed that the upregulation in astrocytic GAT3 levels was functional, as CIE exposure unmasked a GAT3-sensitive tonic GABA current in the CeA. A causal role for astrocytic GAT3 in ethanol dependence was assessed using viral-mediated GAT3 overexpression and knockdown approaches. However, GAT3 knockdown or overexpression had no effect on somatic withdrawal symptoms, dependence-escalated ethanol intake, aversion-resistant drinking, or post-dependent ethanol drinking in male or female rats. Moreover, intra-CeA pharmacological inhibition of GAT3 also did not alter dependent ethanol drinking. Together, these findings indicate that ethanol dependence induces GABAergic dysregulation and astrocyte plasticity in the CeA. However, astrocytic GAT3 does not appear necessary for the drinking related phenotypes associated with dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd B. Nentwig
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - J. Daniel Obray
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
- Current affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Erik T Wilkes
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - Dylan T. Vaughan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
- Current affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - L. Judson Chandler
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
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13
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Hur J, Tillman RM, Kim HC, Didier P, Anderson AS, Islam S, Stockbridge MD, De Los Reyes A, DeYoung KA, Smith JF, Shackman AJ. Adolescent social anxiety is associated with diminished discrimination of anticipated threat and safety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.30.564701. [PMID: 38853920 PMCID: PMC11160578 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Social anxiety-which typically emerges in adolescence-lies on a continuum and, when extreme, can be devastating. Socially anxious individuals are prone to heightened fear, anxiety, and the avoidance of contexts associated with potential social scrutiny. Yet most neuroimaging research has focused on acute social threat. Much less attention has been devoted to understanding the neural systems recruited during the uncertain anticipation of potential encounters with social threat. Here we used a novel fMRI paradigm to probe the neural circuitry engaged during the anticipation and acute presentation of threatening faces and voices in a racially diverse sample of 66 adolescents selectively recruited to encompass a range of social anxiety and enriched for clinically significant levels of distress and impairment. Results demonstrated that adolescents with more severe social anxiety symptoms experience heightened distress when anticipating encounters with social threat, and reduced discrimination of uncertain social threat and safety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), a key division of the central extended amygdala (EAc). Although the EAc-including the BST and central nucleus of the amygdala-was robustly engaged by the acute presentation of threatening faces and voices, the degree of EAc engagement was unrelated to the severity of social anxiety. Together, these observations provide a neurobiologically grounded framework for conceptualizing adolescent social anxiety and set the stage for the kinds of prospective-longitudinal and mechanistic research that will be necessary to determine causation and, ultimately, to develop improved interventions for this often-debilitating illness.
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14
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Han RW, Zhang ZY, Jiao C, Hu ZY, Pan BX. Synergism between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3455. [PMID: 38658548 PMCID: PMC11043328 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47966-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how distinct functional circuits are coordinated to fine-tune mood and behavior is of fundamental importance. Here, we observe that within the dense projections from basolateral amygdala (BLA) to bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), there are two functionally opposing pathways orchestrated to enable contextually appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Specifically, the anterior BLA neurons predominantly innervate the anterodorsal BNST (adBNST), while their posterior counterparts send massive fibers to oval BNST (ovBNST) with moderate to adBNST. Optogenetic activation of the anterior and posterior BLA inputs oppositely regulated the activity of adBNST neurons and anxiety-like behaviors, via disengaging and engaging the inhibitory ovBNST-to-adBNST microcircuit, respectively. Importantly, the two pathways exhibited synchronized but opposite responses to both anxiolytic and anxiogenic stimuli, partially due to their mutual inhibition within BLA and the different inputs they receive. These findings reveal synergistic interactions between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate anxiety expression with ongoing environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Wen Han
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Zi-Yi Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chen Jiao
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ze-Yu Hu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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15
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O'Neill PK, Posani L, Meszaros J, Warren P, Schoonover CE, Fink AJP, Fusi S, Salzman CD. The representational geometry of emotional states in basolateral amygdala. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.23.558668. [PMID: 37790470 PMCID: PMC10542536 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.23.558668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Sensory stimuli associated with aversive outcomes cause multiple behavioral responses related to an animal's evolving emotional state, but neural mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. Here aversive stimuli were presented to mice, eliciting two responses reflecting fear and flight to safety: tremble and ingress into a virtual burrow. Inactivation of basolateral amygdala (BLA) eliminated differential responses to aversive and neutral stimuli without eliminating responses themselves, suggesting BLA signals valence, not motor commands. However, two-photon imaging revealed that neurons typically exhibited mixed selectivity for stimulus identity, valence, tremble and/or ingress. Despite heterogeneous selectivity, BLA representational geometry was lower-dimensional when encoding valence, tremble and safety, enabling generalization of emotions across conditions. Further, tremble and valence coding directions were orthogonal, allowing linear readouts to specialize. Thus BLA representational geometry confers two computational properties that identify specialized neural circuits encoding variables describing emotional states: generalization across conditions, and readouts lacking interference from other readouts.
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16
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Ghanem K, Saltoun K, Suvrathan A, Draganski B, Bzdok D. Longitudinal microstructural changes in 18 amygdala nuclei resonate with cortical circuits and phenomics. Commun Biol 2024; 7:477. [PMID: 38637627 PMCID: PMC11026520 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06187-5] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The amygdala nuclei modulate distributed neural circuits that most likely evolved to respond to environmental threats and opportunities. So far, the specific role of unique amygdala nuclei in the context processing of salient environmental cues lacks adequate characterization across neural systems and over time. Here, we present amygdala nuclei morphometry and behavioral findings from longitudinal population data (>1400 subjects, age range 40-69 years, sampled 2-3 years apart): the UK Biobank offers exceptionally rich phenotyping along with brain morphology scans. This allows us to quantify how 18 microanatomical amygdala subregions undergo plastic changes in tandem with coupled neural systems and delineating their associated phenome-wide profiles. In the context of population change, the basal, lateral, accessory basal, and paralaminar nuclei change in lockstep with the prefrontal cortex, a region that subserves planning and decision-making. The central, medial and cortical nuclei are structurally coupled with the insular and anterior-cingulate nodes of the salience network, in addition to the MT/V5, basal ganglia, and putamen, areas proposed to represent internal bodily states and mediate attention to environmental cues. The central nucleus and anterior amygdaloid area are longitudinally tied with the inferior parietal lobule, known for a role in bodily awareness and social attention. These population-level amygdala-brain plasticity regimes in turn are linked with unique collections of phenotypes, ranging from social status and employment to sleep habits and risk taking. The obtained structural plasticity findings motivate hypotheses about the specific functions of distinct amygdala nuclei in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam Ghanem
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Karin Saltoun
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aparna Suvrathan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Research Program, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- LREN, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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17
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Drzewiecki CM, Fox AS. Understanding the heterogeneity of anxiety using a translational neuroscience approach. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:228-245. [PMID: 38356013 PMCID: PMC11039504 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01162-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders affect millions of people worldwide and present a challenge in neuroscience research because of their substantial heterogeneity in clinical presentation. While a great deal of progress has been made in understanding the neurobiology of fear and anxiety, these insights have not led to effective treatments. Understanding the relationship between phenotypic heterogeneity and the underlying biology is a critical first step in solving this problem. We show translation, reverse translation, and computational modeling can contribute to a refined, cross-species understanding of fear and anxiety as well as anxiety disorders. More specifically, we outline how animal models can be leveraged to develop testable hypotheses in humans by using targeted, cross-species approaches and ethologically informed behavioral paradigms. We discuss reverse translational approaches that can guide and prioritize animal research in nontraditional research species. Finally, we advocate for the use of computational models to harmonize cross-species and cross-methodology research into anxiety. Together, this translational neuroscience approach will help to bridge the widening gap between how we currently conceptualize and diagnose anxiety disorders, as well as aid in the discovery of better treatments for these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly M Drzewiecki
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Andrew S Fox
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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18
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Park K, Park H, Chung C. Fear conditioning and extinction distinctively alter bidirectional synaptic plasticity within the amygdala of an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100606. [PMID: 38292517 PMCID: PMC10825524 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala plays an essential role in the formation and inhibition of fear memory; however, this plasticity has mainly been studied in the lateral amygdala, making it largely uninvestigated in other subnuclei. Here, we investigated long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the medial division of the central amygdala (CEm) synapses of juvenile C57BL/6N (B6) and 129S1/SvImJ (S1) mice. We found that in naïve B6 and S1 mice, LTP was not induced at the BLA to CEm synapses, whereas fear conditioning lowered the threshold for LTP induction in these synapses of both B6 and S1 mice. Interestingly, fear extinction disrupted the induction of LTP at the BLA to CEm synapses of B6 mice, whereas LTP was left intact in S1 mice. Both low-frequency stimulation (LFS) and modest LFS (mLFS) induced LTD in naïve B6 and S1 mice, suggesting that the BLA to CEm synapses express bidirectional plasticity. Fear conditioning disrupted both types of LTD induction selectively in S1 mice and LFS-LTD, presumably NMDAR-dependent LTD was partially recovered by fear extinction. However, mLFS-LTD which has been known to be endocannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R)-dependent was not induced after fear extinction in both mouse strains. Our observations suggest that fear conditioning enhances LTP while fear extinction diminishes LTP at the BLA to the CEm synapses of B6 mice with successful extinction. Considering that S1 mice showed strong fear conditioning and impaired extinction, strong fear conditioning in the S1 strain may be related to disrupted LTD, and impaired extinction may be due to constant LTP and weak LFS-LTD at the BLA to CEm synapses. Our study contributes to the further understanding of the dynamics of synaptic potentiation and depression between the subnuclei of the amygdala in juvenile mice after fear conditioning and extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwanghoon Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, South Korea
| | - Hoyong Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, South Korea
| | - ChiHye Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, South Korea
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19
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Yeh LF, Zuo S, Liu PW. Molecular diversity and functional dynamics in the central amygdala. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1364268. [PMID: 38419794 PMCID: PMC10899328 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1364268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is crucial in integrating sensory and associative information to mediate adaptive responses to emotional stimuli. Recent advances in genetic techniques like optogenetics and chemogenetics have deepened our understanding of distinct neuronal populations within the CeA, particularly those involved in fear learning and memory consolidation. However, challenges remain due to overlapping genetic markers complicating neuron identification. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of molecularly defined cell types and their projection patterns, which are essential for elucidating functional roles, is still developing. Recent advancements in transcriptomics are starting to bridge these gaps, offering new insights into the functional dynamics of CeA neurons. In this review, we provide an overview of the expanding genetic markers for amygdala research, encompassing recent developments and current trends. We also discuss how novel transcriptomic approaches are redefining cell types in the CeA and setting the stage for comprehensive functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Feng Yeh
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shuzhen Zuo
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pin-Wu Liu
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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20
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Sears RM, Andrade EC, Samels SB, Laughlin LC, Moloney DM, Wilson DA, Alwood MR, Moscarello JM, Cain CK. Devaluation of response-produced safety signals reveals circuits for goal-directed versus habitual avoidance in dorsal striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.07.579321. [PMID: 38370659 PMCID: PMC10871355 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.07.579321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Active avoidance responses (ARs) are instrumental behaviors that prevent harm. Adaptive ARs may contribute to active coping, whereas maladaptive avoidance habits are implicated in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The AR learning mechanism has remained elusive, as successful avoidance trials produce no obvious reinforcer. We used a novel outcome-devaluation procedure in rats to show that ARs are positively reinforced by response-produced feedback (FB) cues that develop into safety signals during training. Males were sensitive to FB-devaluation after moderate training, but not overtraining, consistent with a transition from goal-directed to habitual avoidance. Using chemogenetics and FB-devaluation, we also show that goal-directed vs. habitual ARs depend on dorsomedial vs. dorsolateral striatum, suggesting a significant overlap between the mechanisms of avoidance and rewarded instrumental behavior. Females were insensitive to FB-devaluation due to a remarkable context-dependence of counterconditioning. However, degrading the AR-FB contingency suggests that both sexes rely on safety signals to perform goal-directed ARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Sears
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, 8 Floor, New York, NY 10016
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Erika C Andrade
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Shanna B Samels
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
| | - Lindsay C Laughlin
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
| | - Danielle M Moloney
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, 8 Floor, New York, NY 10016
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, 8 Floor, New York, NY 10016
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
| | - Matthew R Alwood
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main, TAMU MS 3474, College Station, TX 77843-3474
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main, TAMU MS 3474, College Station, TX 77843-3474
| | - Christopher K Cain
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 1 Park Avenue, 8 Floor, New York, NY 10016
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962
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21
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Ozsvár A, Sieburg MC, Sietam MD, Hou WH, Capogna M. A combinatory genetic strategy for targeting neurogliaform neurons in the mouse basolateral amygdala. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1254460. [PMID: 38362542 PMCID: PMC10867116 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1254460] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The mouse basolateral amygdala (BLA) contains various GABAergic interneuron subpopulations, which have distinctive roles in the neuronal microcircuit controlling numerous behavioral functions. In mice, roughly 15% of the BLA GABAergic interneurons express neuropeptide Y (NPY), a reasonably characteristic marker for neurogliaform cells (NGFCs) in cortical-like brain structures. However, genetically labeled putative NPY-expressing interneurons in the BLA yield a mixture of interneuron subtypes besides NGFCs. Thus, selective molecular markers are lacking for genetically accessing NGFCs in the BLA. Here, we validated the NGFC-specific labeling with a molecular marker, neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF), in the mouse BLA, as such specificity has been demonstrated in the neocortex and hippocampus. We characterized genetically defined NDNF-expressing (NDNF+) GABAergic interneurons in the mouse BLA by combining the Ndnf-IRES2-dgCre-D transgenic mouse line with viral labeling, immunohistochemical staining, and in vitro electrophysiology. We found that BLA NDNF+ GABAergic cells mainly expressed NGFC neurochemical markers NPY and reelin (Reln) and exhibited small round soma and dense axonal arborization. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings indicated that most NDNF+ interneurons showed late spiking and moderate firing adaptation. Moreover, ∼81% of BLA NDNF+ cells generated retroaxonal action potential after current injections or optogenetic stimulations, frequently developing into persistent barrage firing. Optogenetic activation of the BLA NDNF+ cell population yielded both GABAA- and GABAB receptor-mediated currents onto BLA pyramidal neurons (PNs). We demonstrate a combinatory strategy combining the NDNF-cre mouse line with viral transfection to specifically target adult mouse BLA NGFCs and further explore their functional and behavioral roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Ozsvár
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Meike Claudia Sieburg
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Monica Dahlstrup Sietam
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Wen-Hsien Hou
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marco Capogna
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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22
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574700. [PMID: 38283686 PMCID: PMC10822088 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and mal-adaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M. Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Current affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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23
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Sherman BE, Turk-Browne NB, Goldfarb EV. Multiple Memory Subsystems: Reconsidering Memory in the Mind and Brain. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:103-125. [PMID: 37390333 PMCID: PMC10756937 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231179146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The multiple-memory-systems framework-that distinct types of memory are supported by distinct brain systems-has guided learning and memory research for decades. However, recent work challenges the one-to-one mapping between brain structures and memory types central to this taxonomy, with key memory-related structures supporting multiple functions across substructures. Here we integrate cross-species findings in the hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala to propose an updated framework of multiple memory subsystems (MMSS). We provide evidence for two organizational principles of the MMSS theory: First, opposing memory representations are colocated in the same brain structures; second, parallel memory representations are supported by distinct structures. We discuss why this burgeoning framework has the potential to provide a useful revision of classic theories of long-term memory, what evidence is needed to further validate the framework, and how this novel perspective on memory organization may guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA
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24
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Brown A, Martins M, Richard I, Chaudhri N. Context-induced renewal of passive but not active coping behaviours in the shock-probe defensive burying task. Learn Behav 2023; 51:468-481. [PMID: 37095421 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Renewal is the return of extinguished responding after removal from the extinction context. Renewal has been extensively studied using classical aversive conditioning procedures that measure a passive freezing response to an aversive conditioned stimulus. However, coping responses to aversive stimuli are complex and can be reflected in passive and active behaviours. Using the shock-probe defensive burying task, we investigated whether different coping responses are susceptible to renewal. During conditioning, male, Long-Evans rats were placed into a specific context (Context A) where an electrified shock-probe delivered a 3 mA shock upon contact. During extinction, the shock-probe was unarmed in either the same (Context A) or a different context (Context B). Renewal of conditioned responses was assessed in the conditioning context (ABA) or in a novel context (ABC or AAB). Renewal of passive coping responses, indicated by an increased latency and a decreased duration of shock-probe contacts, was observed in all groups. However, renewal of passive coping, measured by increased time spent on the side of the chamber opposite the shock-probe, was only found in the ABA group. Renewal of active coping responses linked to defensive burying was not observed in any group. The present findings highlight the presence of multiple psychological processes underlying even basic forms of aversive conditioning and demonstrate the importance of assessing a broader set of behaviours to tease apart these different underlying mechanisms. The current findings suggest that passive coping responses may be more reliable indicators for assessing renewal than active coping behaviours associated with defensive burying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Brown
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B-1R6, Canada.
| | - Melissa Martins
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B-1R6, Canada
| | - Isabelle Richard
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B-1R6, Canada
| | - Nadia Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B-1R6, Canada
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25
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Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, Wang L. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:655-671. [PMID: 37730910 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00736-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Most animals live under constant threat from predators, and predation has been a major selective force in shaping animal behaviour. Nevertheless, defence responses against predatory threats need to be balanced against other adaptive behaviours such as foraging, mating and recovering from infection. This behavioural balance in ethologically relevant contexts requires adequate integration of internal and external signals in a complex interplay between the brain and the body. Despite this complexity, research has often considered defensive behaviour as entirely mediated by the brain processing threat-related information obtained via perception of the external environment. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the endocrine, immune, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems have important roles in modulating behavioural responses to threat. In this Review, we focus on how predatory threat defence responses are shaped by threat imminence and review the circuitry between subcortical brain regions involved in mediating defensive behaviours. Then, we discuss the intersection of peripheral systems involved in internal states related to infection, hunger and mating with the neurocircuits that underlie defence responses against predatory threat. Through this process, we aim to elucidate the interconnections between the brain and body as an integrated network that facilitates appropriate defensive responses to threat and to discuss the implications for future behavioural research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Tseng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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26
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Jiang Y, Zhou J, Song BL, Wang Y, Zhang DL, Zhang ZT, Li LF, Liu YJ. 5-HT1A receptor in the central amygdala and 5-HT2A receptor in the basolateral amygdala are involved in social hierarchy in male mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 957:176027. [PMID: 37659688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Most social animals self-organize into dominance hierarchies that strongly influence their behavior and health. The serotonin (5-HT) system is believed to play an important role in the formation of social hierarchy. 5-HT receptors are abundantly expressed in the amygdala, which is considered as the central node for the perception and learning of social hierarchy. In this study, we assessed the functions of various 5-HT receptor subtypes related to social rank determination in different subregions of the amygdala using the confrontation tube test in mice. We revealed that most adult C57BL/6 J male mice exhibited a linear social rank after a few days of cohousing. The tube test ranks were slightly related to anxiety-like behavioral performance. After the tube test, the amygdala and 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus were activated in lower-rank individuals. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that despite the high expression of 5-HT1A receptor mRNA in the central amygdala (CeA), 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression was downregulated in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in higher-rank individuals. The dominant-subordinate relationship between mouse pairs could be switched via pharmacological modulation of these receptors in CeA and BLA, suggesting that these expression changes are essential for establishing social ranks. Our findings provide novel insights into the divergent functions of 5-HT receptors in the amygdala related to social hierarchy, which is closely related to our health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Dong-Lin Zhang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Zheng-Tian Zhang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
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27
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Frank SA. Disease from opposing forces in regulatory control. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:348-352. [PMID: 37868077 PMCID: PMC10590154 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad033] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Danger requires a strong rapid response. Speedy triggers are prone to false signals. False alarms can be costly, requiring strong negative regulators to oppose the initial triggers. Strongly opposed forces can easily be perturbed, leading to imbalance and disease. For example, immunity and fear response balance strong rapid triggers against widespread slow negative regulators. Diseases of immunity and behavior arise from imbalance. A different opposition of forces occurs in mammalian growth, which balances strong paternally expressed accelerators against maternally expressed suppressors. Diseases of overgrowth or undergrowth arise from imbalance. Other examples of opposing forces and disease include control of dopamine expression and male versus female favored traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Frank
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA
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28
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Giovanniello JR, Paredes N, Wiener A, Ramírez-Armenta K, Oragwam C, Uwadia HO, Lim K, Nnamdi G, Wang A, Sehgal M, Reis FM, Sias AC, Silva AJ, Adhikari A, Malvaez M, Wassum KM. A dual-pathway architecture enables chronic stress to promote habit formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560731. [PMID: 37873076 PMCID: PMC10592885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress can change how we learn and, thus, how we make decisions by promoting the formation of inflexible, potentially maladaptive, habits. Here we investigated the neuronal circuit mechanisms that enable this. Using a multifaceted approach in male and female mice, we reveal a dual pathway, amygdala-striatal, neuronal circuit architecture by which a recent history of chronic stress shapes learning to disrupt flexible goal-directed behavior in favor of inflexible habits. Chronic stress inhibits activity of basolateral amygdala projections to the dorsomedial striatum to impede the action-outcome learning that supports flexible, goal-directed decisions. Stress also increases activity in direct central amygdala projections to the dorsomedial striatum to promote the formation of rigid, inflexible habits. Thus, stress exerts opposing effects on two amygdala-striatal pathways to promote premature habit formation. These data provide neuronal circuit insights into how chronic stress shapes learning and decision making, and help understand how stress can lead to the disrupted decision making and pathological habits that characterize substance use disorders and other psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Wiener
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | | | - Kayla Lim
- Dept. of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Gift Nnamdi
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alicia Wang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Megha Sehgal
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Ana C Sias
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Kate M Wassum
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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29
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dos-Santos RC, Sweeten BLW, Stelly CE, Tasker JG. The Neuroendocrine Impact of Acute Stress on Synaptic Plasticity. Endocrinology 2023; 164:bqad149. [PMID: 37788632 PMCID: PMC11046011 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress induces changes in nervous system function on different signaling levels, from molecular signaling to synaptic transmission to neural circuits to behavior-and on different time scales, from rapid onset and transient to delayed and long-lasting. The principal effectors of stress plasticity are glucocorticoids, steroid hormones that act with a broad range of signaling competency due to the expression of multiple nuclear and membrane receptor subtypes in virtually every tissue of the organism. Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors are localized to each of the cellular compartments of the receptor-expressing cells-the membrane, cytosol, and nucleus. In this review, we cover the neuroendocrine effects of stress, focusing mainly on the rapid actions of acute stress-induced glucocorticoids that effect changes in synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability by modulating synaptic and intrinsic neuronal properties via activation of presumed membrane glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors. We describe the synaptic plasticity that occurs in 4 stress-associated brain structures, the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, in response to single or short-term stress exposure. The rapid transformative impact of glucocorticoids makes this stress signal a particularly potent effector of acute neuronal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoni Conceição dos-Santos
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Brook L W Sweeten
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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30
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Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Peng AB, Yu XD, Li CY, Fu JY, Shen CJ, Cao SX, Zhang Y, Chen J, Li XM. Distinct Circuits From the Central Lateral Amygdala to the Ventral Part of the Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis Regulate Different Fear Memory. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)01553-6. [PMID: 37678543 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to differentiate stimuli that predict fear is critical for survival; however, the underlying molecular and circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS We combined transgenic mice, in vivo transsynaptic circuit-dissecting anatomical approaches, optogenetics, pharmacological methods, and electrophysiological recording to investigate the involvement of specific extended amygdala circuits in different fear memory. RESULTS We identified the projections from central lateral amygdala (CeL) protein kinase C δ (PKCδ)-positive neurons and somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons to GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) and glutamatergic neurons in the ventral part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (vBNST). Prolonged optogenetic activation or inhibition of the PKCδCeL-vBNST pathway specifically reduced context fear memory, whereas the SSTCeL-vBNST pathway mainly reduced tone fear memory. Intriguingly, optogenetic manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from PKCδCeL neurons exerted bidirectional regulation of context fear, whereas manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from SSTCeL neurons could bidirectionally regulate both context and tone fear memory. We subsequently demonstrated the presence of δ and κ opioid receptor protein expression within the CeL-vBNST circuits, potentially accounting for the discrepancy between prolonged activation of GABAergic circuits and inhibition of downstream vBNST neurons. Finally, administration of an opioid receptor antagonist cocktail on the PKCδCeL-vBNST or SSTCeL-vBNST pathway successfully restored context or tone fear memory reduction induced by prolonged activation of the circuits. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings establish a functional role for distinct CeL-vBNST circuits in the differential regulation and appropriate maintenance of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Ze Xie
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ai-Bing Peng
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Yue Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yu Fu
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Jie Shen
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Xia Cao
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiadong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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31
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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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32
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Grogans SE, Bliss-Moreau E, Buss KA, Clark LA, Fox AS, Keltner D, Cowen AS, Kim JJ, Kragel PA, MacLeod C, Mobbs D, Naragon-Gainey K, Fullana MA, Shackman AJ. The nature and neurobiology of fear and anxiety: State of the science and opportunities for accelerating discovery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105237. [PMID: 37209932 PMCID: PMC10330657 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety play a central role in mammalian life, and there is considerable interest in clarifying their nature, identifying their biological underpinnings, and determining their consequences for health and disease. Here we provide a roundtable discussion on the nature and biological bases of fear- and anxiety-related states, traits, and disorders. The discussants include scientists familiar with a wide variety of populations and a broad spectrum of techniques. The goal of the roundtable was to take stock of the state of the science and provide a roadmap to the next generation of fear and anxiety research. Much of the discussion centered on the key challenges facing the field, the most fruitful avenues for future research, and emerging opportunities for accelerating discovery, with implications for scientists, funders, and other stakeholders. Understanding fear and anxiety is a matter of practical importance. Anxiety disorders are a leading burden on public health and existing treatments are far from curative, underscoring the urgency of developing a deeper understanding of the factors governing threat-related emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Grogans
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kristin A Buss
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Lee Anna Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Dacher Keltner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Jeansok J Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Colin MacLeod
- Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA; Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kristin Naragon-Gainey
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Miquel A Fullana
- Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Imaging of Mood, and Anxiety-Related Disorders Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, CIBERSAM, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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33
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Guerra DP, Wang W, Souza KA, Moscarello JM. A sex-specific role for the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in proactive defensive behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1234-1244. [PMID: 37142666 PMCID: PMC10267121 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01581-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a forebrain region implicated in aversive responses to uncertain threat. Much of the work on the role of BNST in defensive behavior has used Pavlovian paradigms in which the subject reacts to aversive stimuli delivered in a pattern determined entirely by the experimenter. Here, we explore the contribution of BNST to a task in which subjects learn a proactive response that prevents the delivery of an aversive outcome. To this end, male and female rats were trained to shuttle during a tone to avoid shock in a standard two-way signaled active avoidance paradigm. Chemogenetic inhibition (hM4Di) of BNST attenuated the expression of the avoidance response in male but not female rats. Inactivation of the neighboring medial septum in males produced no effect on avoidance, demonstrating that our effect was specific to BNST. A follow up study comparing hM4Di inhibition to hM3Dq activation of BNST in males replicated the effect of inhibition and demonstrated that activation of BNST extended the period of tone-evoked shuttling. These data support the novel conclusion that BNST mediates two-way avoidance behavior in male rats and suggest the intriguing possibility that the systems underlying proactive defensive behavior are sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Guerra
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karienn A Souza
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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34
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Boyle CA, Lei S. Neuromedin B excites central lateral amygdala neurons and reduces cardiovascular output and fear-potentiated startle. J Cell Physiol 2023; 238:1381-1404. [PMID: 37186390 PMCID: PMC10330072 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Neuromedin B (NMB) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) are the two mammalian analogs in the bombesin peptide family that exert a variety of actions including emotional processing, appetitive behaviors, cognition, and tumor growth. The bombesin-like peptides interact with three receptors: the NMB-preferring bombesin 1 (BB1) receptors, the GRP-preferring bombesin 2 (BB2) receptors and the orphan bombesin 3 (BB3) receptors. Whereas, injection of bombesin into the central amygdala reduces satiety and modulates blood pressure, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms have not been determined. As administration of bombesin induces the expression of Fos in the lateral nucleus of the central amygdala (CeL) which expresses BB1 receptors, we probed the effects of NMB on CeL neurons using in vitro and in vivo approaches. We showed that activation of the BB1 receptors increased action potential firing frequency recorded from CeL neurons via inhibition of the inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels. Activities of phospholipase Cβ and protein kinase C were required, whereas intracellular Ca2+ release was unnecessary for BB1 receptor-elicited potentiation of neuronal excitability. Application of NMB directly into the CeA reduced blood pressure and heart rate and significantly reduced fear-potentiated startle. We may provide a cellular and molecular mechanism whereby bombesin-like peptides modulate anxiety and fear responses in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A. Boyle
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Saobo Lei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
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35
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Williford KM, Taylor A, Melchior JR, Yoon HJ, Sale E, Negasi MD, Adank DN, Brown JA, Bedenbaugh MN, Luchsinger JR, Centanni SW, Patel S, Calipari ES, Simerly RB, Winder DG. BNST PKCδ neurons are activated by specific aversive conditions to promote anxiety-like behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1031-1041. [PMID: 36941364 PMCID: PMC10209190 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a critical mediator of stress responses and anxiety-like behaviors. Neurons expressing protein kinase C delta (BNSTPKCδ) are an abundant but understudied subpopulation implicated in inhibiting feeding, but which have conflicting reports about their role in anxiety-like behaviors. We have previously shown that expression of PKCδ is dynamically regulated by stress and that BNSTPKCδ cells are recruited during bouts of active stress coping. Here, we first show that in vivo activation of this population is mildly aversive. This aversion was insensitive to prior restraint stress exposure. Further investigation revealed that unlike other BNST subpopulations, BNSTPKCδ cells do not exhibit increased cfos expression following restraint stress. Ex vivo current clamp recordings also indicate they are resistant to firing. To elucidate their afferent control, we next used rabies tracing with whole-brain imaging and channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping, finding that BNSTPKCδ cells receive abundant input from affective, arousal, and sensory regions including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) paraventricular thalamus (PVT) and central amygdala PKCδ-expressing cells (CeAPKCδ). Given these findings, we used in vivo optogenetics and fiber photometry to further examine BNSTPKCδ cells in the context of stress and anxiety-like behavior. We found that BNSTPKCδ cell activity is associated with increased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, increases following footshock, and unlike other BNST subpopulations, does not desensitize to repeated stress exposure. Taken together, we propose a model in which BNSTPKCδ cells may serve as threat detectors, integrating exteroceptive and interoceptive information to inform stress coping behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie M Williford
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anne Taylor
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James R Melchior
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hye Jean Yoon
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eryn Sale
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Milen D Negasi
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danielle N Adank
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jordan A Brown
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michelle N Bedenbaugh
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Joseph R Luchsinger
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Samuel W Centanni
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Richard B Simerly
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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36
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Winters ND, Yasmin F, Kondev V, Grueter BA, Patel S. Cannabidiol Differentially Modulates Synaptic Release and Cellular Excitability in Amygdala Subnuclei. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 37163725 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive constituent of the Cannabis plant that has purported effectiveness in treating an array of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. The amygdala is a subcortical brain structure that regulates emotional behavior, and its dysfunction has been linked to numerous disorders including anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite this, the direct effects of CBD on synaptic and cellular function in the amygdala are not known. Using electrophysiology and pharmacology, we report that CBD reduces presynaptic neurotransmitter release in the amygdala, and these effects are dependent on subnucleus and cell type. Furthermore, CBD broadly decreases cellular excitability across amygdala subnuclei. These data reveal physiological mechanisms by which CBD modulates amygdala activity and could provide insights into how CBD could affect emotional and stress-related behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan D Winters
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Farhana Yasmin
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
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37
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Wright KM, Cieslewski S, Chu A, McDannald MA. Optogenetic inhibition of the caudal substantia nigra inflates behavioral responding to uncertain threat and safety. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.18.529041. [PMID: 36824795 PMCID: PMC9949108 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.18.529041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
Defensive responding is adaptive when it approximates current threat, but maladaptive when it exceeds current threat. Here we asked if the substantia nigra, a region consistently implicated in reward, is necessary to show appropriate levels of defensive responding in Pavlovian fear discrimination. Rats received bilateral transduction of the caudal substantia nigra with halorhodopsin or a control fluorophore, and bilateral ferrule implants. Rats then behaviorally discriminated cues predicting unique foot shock probabilities (danger, p =1; uncertainty, p =0.25; and safety, p =0). Green-light illumination (532 nm) during cue presentation inflated defensive responding of halorhodopsin rats - measured by suppression of reward seeking - to uncertainty and safety beyond control levels. Green-light illumination outside of cue presentation had no impact on halorhodopsin or control rat responding. The results reveal caudal substantia nigra cue activity is necessary to inhibit defensive responding to non-threatening and uncertain threat cues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda Chu
- Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
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38
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Zhang XO, Do Monte FH. Positioning the brainstem within the neural network of threat prediction. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:91-93. [PMID: 36470706 PMCID: PMC9877175 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
In a recent study, Strickland and McDannald dissected the role of brainstem networks in threat prediction. Using probabilistic threat discrimination in rats, the authors demonstrated that brainstem neurons estimate threat probability and generate positive aversive prediction errors after unexpected outcomes. Their findings suggest that, beyond organizing defensive behaviors, brainstem neurons are involved in threat prediction computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu O Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fabricio H Do Monte
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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39
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Cain CK. Beyond Fear, Extinction, and Freezing: Strategies for Improving the Translational Value of Animal Conditioning Research. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 64:19-57. [PMID: 37532965 PMCID: PMC10840073 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Translational neuroscience for anxiety has had limited success despite great progress in understanding the neurobiology of Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction. This chapter explores the idea that conditioning paradigms have had a modest impact on translation because studies in animals and humans are misaligned in important ways. For instance, animal conditioning studies typically use imminent threats to assess short-duration fear states with single behavioral measures (e.g., freezing), whereas human studies typically assess weaker or more prolonged anxiety states with physiological (e.g., skin conductance) and self-report measures. A path forward may be more animal research on conditioned anxiety phenomena measuring dynamic behavioral and physiological responses in more complex environments. Exploring transitions between defensive brain states during extinction, looming threats, and post-threat recovery may be particularly informative. If care is taken to align paradigms, threat levels, and measures, this strategy may reveal stable patterns of non-conscious defense in animals and humans that correlate better with conscious anxiety. This shift in focus is also warranted because anxiety is a bigger problem than fear, even in disorders defined by dysfunctional fear or panic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K Cain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
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40
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You Z, Liu B, Qi H. Neuronal regulation of B-cell immunity: Anticipatory immune posturing? Neuron 2022; 110:3582-3596. [PMID: 36327899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The brain may sense, evaluate, modulate, and intervene in the operation of immune system, which would otherwise function autonomously in defense against pathogens. Antibody-mediated immunity is one arm of adaptive immunity that may achieve sterilizing protection against infection. Lymphoid organs are densely innervated. Immune cells supporting the antigen-specific antibody response express receptors for neurotransmitters and glucocorticoid hormones, and they are subjected to collective regulation by the neuroendocrine and the autonomic nervous system. Emerging evidence reveals a brain-spleen axis that regulates antigen-specific B cell responses and antibody-mediated immunity. In this article, we provide a synthesis of those studies as pertinent to neuronal regulation of B cell responses in secondary lymphoid organs. We propose the concept of defensive immune posturing as a brain-initiated top-down reaction in anticipation of potential tissue injury that requires immune protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei You
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; Laboratory of Dynamic Immunobiology, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; Laboratory of Dynamic Immunobiology, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hai Qi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; Laboratory of Dynamic Immunobiology, Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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41
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Limoges A, Yarur HE, Tejeda HA. Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:963691. [PMID: 36276608 PMCID: PMC9579273 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amygdaloid circuits are involved in a variety of emotional and motivation-related behaviors and are impacted by stress. The amygdala expresses several neuromodulatory systems, including opioid peptides and their receptors. The Dynorphin (Dyn)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of emotional and stress-related information and is expressed in brain areas involved in stress and motivation. Dysregulation of the Dyn/KOR system has also been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is limited information about the role of the Dyn/KOR system in regulating amygdala circuitry. Here, we review the literature on the (1) basic anatomy of the amygdala, (2) functional regulation of synaptic transmission by the Dyn/KOR system, (3) anatomical architecture and function of the Dyn/KOR system in the amygdala, (4) regulation of amygdala-dependent behaviors by the Dyn/KOR system, and (5) future directions for the field. Future work investigating how the Dyn/KOR system shapes a wide range of amygdala-related behaviors will be required to increase our understanding of underlying circuitry modulation by the Dyn/KOR system. We anticipate that continued focus on the amygdala Dyn/KOR system will also elucidate novel ways to target the Dyn/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Limoges
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- NIH-Columbia University Individual Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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