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Casanova JP, Pouget C, Treiber N, Agarwal I, Brimble MA, Vetere G. Threat-dependent scaling of prelimbic dynamics to enhance fear representation. Neuron 2024; 112:2304-2314.e6. [PMID: 38772375 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.029] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Promptly identifying threatening stimuli is crucial for survival. Freezing is a natural behavior displayed by rodents toward potential or actual threats. Although it is known that the prelimbic cortex (PL) is involved in both risk evaluation and in fear and anxiety-like behavior expression, here we explored whether PL neuronal activity can dynamically represent different internal states of the same behavioral output (i.e., freezing). We found that freezing can always be decoded from PL activity at a population level. However, the sudden presentation of a fearful stimulus quickly reshaped the PL to a new neuronal activity state, an effect not observed in other cortical or subcortical regions examined. This shift changed PL freezing representation and is necessary for fear memory expression. Our data reveal the unique role of the PL in detecting threats and internally adjusting to distinguish between different freezing-related states in both unconditioned and conditioned fear representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Patricio Casanova
- Cerebral Codes and Circuits Connectivity team, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Clément Pouget
- Cerebral Codes and Circuits Connectivity team, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nadja Treiber
- Cerebral Codes and Circuits Connectivity team, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ishaant Agarwal
- Cerebral Codes and Circuits Connectivity team, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mark Allen Brimble
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Gisella Vetere
- Cerebral Codes and Circuits Connectivity team, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France.
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2
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Santos TB, de Oliveira Coelho CA, Kramer-Soares JC, Frankland PW, Oliveira MGM. Reactivation of encoding ensembles in the prelimbic cortex supports temporal associations. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1296-1308. [PMID: 38454052 PMCID: PMC11224261 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01825-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is encoded by strengthening synaptic connections between the neurons activated by a conditioned stimulus (CS) and those activated by an unconditioned stimulus (US), forming a memory engram, which is reactivated during memory retrieval. In temporal associations, activity within the prelimbic cortex (PL) plays a role in sustaining a short-term, transient memory of the CS, which is associated with the US after a temporal gap. However, it is unknown whether the PL has only a temporary role, transiently representing the CS, or is part of the neuronal ensembles that support the retrieval, i.e., whether PL neurons support both transient, short-term memories and stable, long-term memories. We investigated neuronal ensembles underlying temporal associations using fear conditioning with a 5-s interval between the CS and US (CFC-5s). Controls were trained in contextual fear conditioning (CFC), in which the CS-US overlaps. We used Robust Activity Marking (RAM) to selectively manipulate PL neurons activated by CFC-5s learning and Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (TRAP2) mice to label neurons activated by CFC-5s learning and reactivated by memory retrieval in the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, perirhinal cortices (PER) and subiculum. We also computed their co-reactivation to generate correlation-based networks. The optogenetic reactivation or silencing of PL encoding ensembles either promoted or impaired the retrieval of CFC-5s but not CFC. CFC-5s retrieval reactivated encoding ensembles in the PL, PER, and basolateral amygdala. The engram network of CFC-5s had higher amygdala and PER centralities and interconnectivity. The same PL neurons support learning and stable associative memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays Brenner Santos
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil.
| | | | - Juliana Carlota Kramer-Soares
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil
- Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - UNICSUL, São Paulo, 08060-070, Brazil
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
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3
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Hall S. Is the Papez circuit the location of the elusive episodic memory engram? IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:249-259. [PMID: 38370006 PMCID: PMC10869290 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
All of the brain structures and white matter that make up Papez' circuit, as well as the circuit as a whole, are implicated in the literature in episodic memory formation and recall. This paper shows that Papez' circuit has the detailed structure and connectivity that is evidently required to support the episodic memory engram, and that identifying Papez' circuit as the location of the engram answers a number of long-standing questions regarding the role of medial temporal lobe structures in episodic memory. The paper then shows that the process by which the episodic memory engram may be formed is a network-wide Hebbian potentiation termed "racetrack potentiation", whose frequency corresponds to that observed in vivo in humans for memory functions. Further, by considering the microcircuits observed in the medial temporal lobe structures forming Papez' circuit, the paper establishes the neural mechanisms behind the required functions of sensory information storage and recall, pattern completion, pattern separation, and memory consolidation. The paper shows that Papez' circuit has the necessary connectivity to gather the various elements of an episodic memory occurring within Pöppel's experienced time or "quantum of experience". Finally, the paper shows how the memory engram located in Papez' circuit might be central to the formation of a duplicate engram in the cortex enabling consolidation and long-term storage of episodic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Hall
- Department of Psychology, University of Bolton, Deane Road, Bolton BL3 5AB, UK
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4
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Yadav N, Toader A, Rajasethupathy P. Beyond hippocampus: Thalamic and prefrontal contributions to an evolving memory. Neuron 2024; 112:1045-1059. [PMID: 38272026 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The hippocampus has long been at the center of memory research, and rightfully so. However, with emerging technological capabilities, we can increasingly appreciate memory as a more dynamic and brain-wide process. In this perspective, our goal is to begin developing models to understand the gradual evolution, reorganization, and stabilization of memories across the brain after their initial formation in the hippocampus. By synthesizing studies across the rodent and human literature, we suggest that as memory representations initially form in hippocampus, parallel traces emerge in frontal cortex that cue memory recall, and as they mature, with sustained support initially from limbic then diencephalic then cortical circuits, they become progressively independent of hippocampus and dependent on a mature cortical representation. A key feature of this model is that, as time progresses, memory representations are passed on to distinct circuits with progressively longer time constants, providing the opportunity to filter, forget, update, or reorganize memories in the process of committing to long-term storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Yadav
- Laboratory of Neural Dynamics & Cognition, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Toader
- Laboratory of Neural Dynamics & Cognition, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Priya Rajasethupathy
- Laboratory of Neural Dynamics & Cognition, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Krasne FB, Fanselow MS. Remote memory in a Bayesian model of context fear conditioning (BaconREM). Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1295969. [PMID: 38515786 PMCID: PMC10955142 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1295969] [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: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, we propose a model of remote memory (BaconREM), which is an extension of a previously published Bayesian model of context fear learning (BACON) that accounts for many aspects of recently learned context fear. BaconREM simulates most known phenomenology of remote context fear as studied in rodents and makes new predictions. In particular, it predicts the well-known observation that fear that was conditioned to a recently encoded context becomes hippocampus-independent and shows much-enhanced generalization ("hyper-generalization") when systems consolidation occurs (i.e., when memory becomes remote). However, the model also predicts that there should be circumstances under which the generalizability of remote fear may not increase or even decrease. It also predicts the established finding that a "reminder" exposure to a feared context can abolish hyper-generalization while at the same time making remote fear again hippocampus-dependent. This observation has in the past been taken to suggest that reminders facilitate access to detail memory that remains permanently in the hippocampus even after systems consolidation is complete. However, the present model simulates this result even though it totally moves all the contextual memory that it retains to the neo-cortex when context fear becomes remote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin B. Krasne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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6
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Naffaa MM. Significance of the anterior cingulate cortex in neurogenesis plasticity: Connections, functions, and disorders across postnatal and adult stages. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300160. [PMID: 38135889 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a complex and continually evolving brain region that remains a primary focus of research due to its multifaceted functions. Various studies and analyses have significantly advanced our understanding of how the ACC participates in a wide spectrum of memory and cognitive processes. However, despite its strong connections to brain areas associated with hippocampal and olfactory neurogenesis, the functions of the ACC in regulating postnatal and adult neurogenesis in these regions are still insufficiently explored. Investigating the intricate involvement of the ACC in neurogenesis could enhance our comprehension of essential aspects of brain plasticity. This involvement stems from its complex circuitry with other relevant brain regions, thereby exerting both direct and indirect impacts on the neurogenesis process. This review sheds light on the promising significance of the ACC in orchestrating postnatal and adult neurogenesis in conditions related to memory, cognitive behavior, and associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moawiah M Naffaa
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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7
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Zeidler Z, DeNardo L. The Role of Prefrontal Ensembles in Memory Across Time: Time-Dependent Transformations of Prefrontal Memory Ensembles. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 38:67-78. [PMID: 39008011 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a critical role in recalling recent and remote fearful memories. Modern neuroscience techniques, such as projection-specific circuit manipulation and activity-dependent labeling, have illuminated how mPFC memory ensembles are reorganized over time. This chapter discusses the implications of new findings for traditional theories of memory, such as the systems consolidation theory and theories of memory engrams. It also examines the specific contributions of mPFC subregions, like the prelimbic and infralimbic cortices, in fear memory, highlighting how their distinct connections influence memory recall. Further, it elaborates on the cellular and molecular changes within the mPFC that support memory persistence and how these are influenced by interactions with the hippocampus. Ultimately, this chapter provides insights into how lasting memories are dynamically encoded in prefrontal circuits, arguing for a key role of memory ensembles that extend beyond strict definitions of the engram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Zeidler
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Laura DeNardo
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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8
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Atucha E, Ku SP, Lippert MT, Sauvage MM. Recalling gist memory depends on CA1 hippocampal neurons for lifetime retention and CA3 neurons for memory precision. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113317. [PMID: 37897725 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Why some of us remember events more clearly than others and why memory loses precision over time is a major focus in memory research. Here, we show that the recruitment of specific neuroanatomical pathways within the medial temporal lobe (MTL) of the brain defines the precision of the memory recalled over the lifespan. Using optogenetics, neuronal activity mapping, and studying recent to very remote memories, we report that the hippocampal subfield CA1 is necessary for retrieving the gist of events and receives maximal support from MTL cortical areas (MEC, LEC, PER, and POR) for recalling the most remote memories. In contrast, reduction of CA3's activity alone coincides with the loss of memory precision over time. We propose that a shift between specific MTL subnetworks over time might be a fundamental mechanism of memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Atucha
- Functional Architecture of Memory Department, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Shih-Pi Ku
- Functional Architecture of Memory Department, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael T Lippert
- Systems Physiology of Learning Department, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena M Sauvage
- Functional Architecture of Memory Department, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Otto von Guericke University, Medical Faculty, Functional Neuroplasticity Department, Magdeburg, Germany; Otto von Guericke University, Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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9
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Santos TB, Kramer-Soares JC, de Oliveira Coelho CA, Oliveira MGM. Functional network of contextual and temporal memory has increased amygdala centrality and connectivity with the retrosplenial cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13087. [PMID: 37567967 PMCID: PMC10421896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39946-1] [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: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In fear conditioning with time intervals between the conditioned (CS) and unconditioned (US) stimuli, a neural representation of the CS must be maintained over time to be associated with the later US. Usually, temporal associations are studied by investigating individual brain regions. It remains unknown, however, the effect of the interval at the network level, uncovering functional connections cooperating for the CS transient memory and its fear association. We investigated the functional network supporting temporal associations using a task in which a 5-s interval separates the contextual CS from the US (CFC-5s). We quantified c-Fos expression in forty-nine brain regions of male rats following the CFC-5s training, used c-Fos correlations to generate functional networks, and analyzed them by graph theory. Control groups were trained in contextual fear conditioning, in which CS and US overlap. The CFC-5s training additionally activated subdivisions of the basolateral, lateral, and medial amygdala; prelimbic, infralimbic, perirhinal, postrhinal, and intermediate entorhinal cortices; ventral CA1 and subiculum. The CFC-5s network had increased amygdala centrality and higher amygdala internal and external connectivity with the retrosplenial cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus. Amygdala and thalamic nuclei were network hubs. Functional connectivity among these brain regions could support CS transient memories and their association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays Brenner Santos
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Juliana Carlota Kramer-Soares
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil
- Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - UNICSUL, São Paulo, 08060-070, Brazil
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10
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Park A, Jacob AD, Hsiang HLL, Frankland PW, Howland JG, Josselyn SA. Formation and fate of an engram in the lateral amygdala supporting a rewarding memory in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:724-733. [PMID: 36261624 PMCID: PMC10066178 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01472-5] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Memories allow past experiences to guide future decision making and behavior. Sparse ensembles of neurons, known as engrams, are thought to store memories in the brain. Most previous research has focused on engrams supporting threatening or fearful memories where results show that neurons involved in a particular engram ("engram neurons") are both necessary and sufficient for memory expression. Far less is understood about engrams supporting appetitive or rewarding memories. As circumstances and environments are dynamic, the fate of a previously acquired engram with changing circumstances is unknown. Here we examined how engrams supporting a rewarding cue-cocaine memory are formed and whether this original engram is important in reinstatement of memory-guided behavior following extinction. Using a variety of techniques, we show that neurons in the lateral amygdala are allocated to an engram based on relative neuronal excitability at training. Furthermore, once allocated, these neurons become both necessary and sufficient for behavior consistent with recall of that rewarding memory. Allocated neurons are also critical for cocaine-primed reinstatement of memory-guided behavior following extinction. Moreover, artificial reactivation of initially allocated neurons supports reinstatement-like behavior following extinction even in the absence of cocaine-priming. Together, these findings suggest that cocaine priming after extinction reactivates the original engram, and that memory-guided reinstatement behavior does not occur in the absence of this reactivation. Although we focused on neurons in one brain region only, our findings that manipulations of lateral amygdala engram neurons alone were sufficient to impact memory-guided behavior indicate that the lateral amygdala is a critical hub region in what may be a larger brain-wide engram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Park
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Alexander D Jacob
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Hwa-Lin Liz Hsiang
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - John G Howland
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada.
| | - Sheena A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
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11
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Lee JH, Kim WB, Park EH, Cho JH. Neocortical synaptic engrams for remote contextual memories. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:259-273. [PMID: 36564546 PMCID: PMC9905017 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01223-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While initial encoding of contextual memories involves the strengthening of hippocampal circuits, these memories progressively mature to stabilized forms in neocortex and become less hippocampus dependent. Although it has been proposed that long-term storage of contextual memories may involve enduring synaptic changes in neocortical circuits, synaptic substrates of remote contextual memories have been elusive. Here we demonstrate that the consolidation of remote contextual fear memories in mice correlated with progressive strengthening of excitatory connections between prefrontal cortical (PFC) engram neurons active during learning and reactivated during remote memory recall, whereas the extinction of remote memories weakened those synapses. This synapse-specific plasticity was CREB-dependent and required sustained hippocampal signals, which the retrosplenial cortex could convey to PFC. Moreover, PFC engram neurons were strongly connected to other PFC neurons recruited during remote memory recall. Our study suggests that progressive and synapse-specific strengthening of PFC circuits can contribute to long-term storage of contextual memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hye Lee
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Woong Bin Kim
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Eui Ho Park
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jun-Hyeong Cho
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
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12
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Brain Macro-Structural Alterations in Aging Rats: A Longitudinal Lifetime Approach. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030432. [PMID: 36766774 PMCID: PMC9914014 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030432] [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: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by macro-structural alterations in the brain that may relate to age-associated cognitive decline. Animal studies could allow us to study this relationship, but so far it remains unclear whether their structural aging patterns correspond to those in humans. Therefore, by applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and deformation-based morphometry (DBM), we longitudinally screened the brains of male RccHan:WIST rats for structural changes across their average lifespan. By combining dedicated region of interest (ROI) and voxel-wise approaches, we observed an increase in their global brain volume that was superimposed by divergent local morphologic alterations, with the largest aging effects in early and middle life. We detected a modality-dependent vulnerability to shrinkage across the visual, auditory, and somato-sensory cortical areas, whereas the piriform cortex showed partial resistance. Furthermore, shrinkage emerged in the amygdala, subiculum, and flocculus as well as in frontal, parietal, and motor cortical areas. Strikingly, we noticed the preservation of ectorhinal, entorhinal, retrosplenial, and cingulate cortical regions, which all represent higher-order brain areas and extraordinarily grew with increasing age. We think that the findings of this study will further advance aging research and may contribute to the establishment of interventional approaches to preserve cognitive health in advanced age.
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13
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Offline neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity during sleep and memory consolidation. Neurosci Res 2022; 189:29-36. [PMID: 36584924 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
After initial formation during learning, memories are further processed in the brain during subsequent days for long-term consolidation, with sleep playing a key role in this process. Studies have shown that neuronal activity patterns during the awake period are repeated in the hippocampus during sleep, which may coordinate brain-wide reactivation leading to memory consolidation. Consistently, perturbation of this activity blocks the formation of long-term memory. This 'replay' of activity during sleep likely triggers plastic changes in synaptic transmission, a cellular substrate of memory, in multiple brain regions, which likely plays a critical role in long-term memory. Two forms of synaptic plasticity, potentiation and depression of synaptic transmission, are induced in parallel during sleep and is termed "offline synaptic plasticity", as opposed to the "online synaptic plasticity" that occurs immediately following a memory event.
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14
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Sung Y, Kaang BK. The Three Musketeers in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Subregion-specific Structural and Functional Plasticity Underlying Fear Memory Stages. Exp Neurobiol 2022; 31:221-231. [PMID: 36050222 PMCID: PMC9471411 DOI: 10.5607/en22012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear memory recruits various brain regions with long-lasting brain-wide subcellular events. The medial prefrontal cortex processes the emotional and cognitive functions required for adequately handling fear memory. Several studies have indicated that subdivisions within the medial prefrontal cortex, namely the prelimbic, infralimbic, and anterior cingulate cortices, may play different roles across fear memory states. Through a dedicated cytoarchitecture and connectivity, the three different regions of the medial prefrontal cortex play a specific role in maintaining and extinguishing fear memory. Furthermore, synaptic plasticity and maturation of neural circuits within the medial prefrontal cortex suggest that remote memories undergo structural and functional reorganization. Finally, recent technical advances have enabled genetic access to transiently activated neuronal ensembles within these regions, suggesting that memory trace cells in these regions may preferentially contribute to processing specific fear memory. We reviewed recently published reports and summarize the molecular, synaptic and cellular events occurring within the medial prefrontal cortex during various memory stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongmin Sung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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15
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Synaptic plasticity during systems memory consolidation. Neurosci Res 2022; 183:1-6. [PMID: 35667493 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
After learning, memory is initially encoded in the hippocampus but subsequently stabilized in other brain regions such as the cortex for long-lasting storage. This process is known as systems memory consolidation, and its cellular mechanism has long been a fundamental question. Synaptic plasticity is the major cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory, and is therefore considered a key function in the process of systems memory consolidation. Therefore, many studies have aimed to establish a causal link between synaptic plasticity in the brain and memory-associated behaviors. In this review, I discuss the various lines of research showing the function of synaptic plasticity, mainly in the hippocampus and cortex during memory consolidation.
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16
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Tsetsenis T, Badyna JK, Li R, Dani JA. Activation of a Locus Coeruleus to Dorsal Hippocampus Noradrenergic Circuit Facilitates Associative Learning. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:887679. [PMID: 35496910 PMCID: PMC9051520 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.887679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Processing of contextual information during a new episodic event is crucial for learning and memory. Neuromodulation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex plays an important role in the formation of associations between environmental cues and an aversive experience. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus send dense projections to both regions, but their contribution to contextual associative learning has not been established. Here, we utilize selective optogenetic and pharmacological manipulations to control noradrenergic transmission in the hippocampus during the encoding of a contextual fear memory. We find that boosting noradrenergic terminal release in the dorsal CA1 enhances the acquisition of contextual associative learning and that this effect requires local activation of β-adrenenergic receptors. Moreover, we show that increasing norepinephrine release can ameliorate contextual fear learning impairments caused by dopaminergic dysregulation in the hippocampus. Our data suggest that increasing of hippocampal noradrenergic activity can have important implications in the treatment of cognitive disorders that involve problems in contextual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Tsetsenis
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julia K. Badyna
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rebecca Li
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - John A. Dani
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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17
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Karimi F, Anari H, Yousefi Nejad A, Karbalay-Doust S, Naseh M. Post-weaning exposure to Sunset Yellow FCF induces behavioral impairment and structural changes in the adult rat medial prefrontal cortex: protective effects of Coenzyme Q10. Int J Dev Neurosci 2022; 82:303-313. [PMID: 35293019 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Sunset Yellow FCF (E110) is a water soluble synthetic dye that has adverse neurobehavioral effects. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is known as a neuroprotective agent. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of post-weaning exposure to Sunset Yellow FCF on behavioral and structural changes in the adult rat medial prefrontal cortex and the protective effects of CoQ10. The weanling rats were randomly divided into six groups: distilled water, CoQ10 (10 mg/kg/day), and low (2.5 mg/kg/day), and high (70 mg/kg/day) doses of Sunset Yellow FCF with or without CoQ10 consumption for six weeks. A battery of behavioral tests including open field and Morris water maze tests were done at the end of the 6th week, and then the animals' brains were removed for stereological methods. Our finding indicated that the high dose of Sunset Yellow FCF led to a reduced total volume of mPFC (15.16%), especially in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) region (21.96%), along with loss of neurons (32%) and glial cells (37%), which was associated with higher anxiety behavior and loss in spatial memory. However, CoQ10 prevented the neural loss and glial cells, improved anxiety like behaviors and memory impairment. On the other hand, the acceptable daily dose (low dose of Sunset Yellow FCF) did not show a discernible effect on the same parameters. This study showed that the CoQ10 can protect the alteration in mPFC structure and behavioral changes of the rats exposed to high dose of Sunset Yellow FCF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Karimi
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Anatomy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hamideh Anari
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Anatomy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Yousefi Nejad
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Saied Karbalay-Doust
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Anatomy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Naseh
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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18
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Ulmer-Yaniv A, Waidergoren S, Shaked A, Salomon R, Feldman R. Neural Representation of the Parent-Child Attachment from Infancy to Adulthood. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:609-624. [PMID: 34893911 PMCID: PMC9250301 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Attachment theory is built on the assumption of consistency; the mother–infant bond is thought to underpin the life-long representations individuals construct of attachment relationships. Still, consistency in the individual’s neural response to attachment-related stimuli representing his or her entire relational history has not been investigated. Mothers and children were followed across two decades and videotaped in infancy (3–6 months), childhood (9–12 years) and young adulthood (18–24 years). In adulthood, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while exposed to videos of own mother–child interactions (Self) vs unfamiliar interactions (Other). Self-stimuli elicited greater activations across preregistered nodes of the human attachment network, including thalamus-to-brainstem, amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula and temporal cortex. Critically, self-stimuli were age-invariant in most regions of interest despite large variability in social behavior, and Bayesian analysis showed strong evidence for lack of age-related differences. Psycho–physiological interaction analysis indicated that self-stimuli elicited tighter connectivity between ACC and anterior insula, consolidating an interface associating information from exteroceptive and interceptive sources to sustain attachment representations. Child social engagement behavior was individually stable from infancy to adulthood and linked with greater ACC and insula response to self-stimuli. Findings demonstrate overlap in circuits sustaining parental and child attachment and accord with perspectives on the continuity of attachment across human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Ulmer-Yaniv
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Shani Waidergoren
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Herzliya 4610101, Israel
| | - Ariel Shaked
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Roy Salomon
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Correspondence should be addressed to Ruth Feldman Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, 8 Ha'Universita st., Herzliya 4610101, Israel. E-mail:
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19
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Goto A, Bota A, Miya K, Wang J, Tsukamoto S, Jiang X, Hirai D, Murayama M, Matsuda T, McHugh TJ, Nagai T, Hayashi Y. Stepwise synaptic plasticity events drive the early phase of memory consolidation. Science 2021; 374:857-863. [PMID: 34762472 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj9195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Goto
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ayaka Bota
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Ken Miya
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.,Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Jingbo Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Suzune Tsukamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Xinzhi Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Daichi Hirai
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Masanori Murayama
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tomoki Matsuda
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Thomas J McHugh
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takeharu Nagai
- SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Mihogaoka 8-1, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Yasunori Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Brain and Body System Science Institute, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
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20
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The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Fear Memory: Dynamics, Connectivity, and Engrams. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212113. [PMID: 34830009 PMCID: PMC8619965 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly apparent that long-term memory formation relies on a distributed network of brain areas. While the hippocampus has been at the center of attention for decades, it is now clear that other regions, in particular the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), are taking an active part as well. Recent evidence suggests that the mPFC-traditionally implicated in the long-term storage of memories-is already critical for the early phases of memory formation such as encoding. In this review, we summarize these findings, relate them to the functional importance of the mPFC connectivity, and discuss the role of the mPFC during memory consolidation with respect to the different theories of memory storage. Owing to its high functional connectivity to other brain areas subserving memory formation and storage, the mPFC emerges as a central hub across the lifetime of a memory, although much still remains to be discovered.
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21
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Developmental emergence of persistent memory for contextual and auditory fear in mice. Learn Mem 2021; 28:414-421. [PMID: 34663694 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053471.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The ability to generate memories that persist throughout a lifetime (that is, memory persistence) emerges in early development across species. Although it has been shown that persistent fear memories emerge between late infancy and adolescence in mice, it is unclear exactly when this transition takes place, and whether two major fear conditioning tasks, contextual and auditory fear, share the same time line of developmental onset. Here, we compared the ontogeny of remote contextual and auditory fear in C57BL/6J mice across early life. Mice at postnatal day (P)15, 21, 25, 28, and 30 underwent either contextual or auditory fear training and were tested for fear retrieval 1 or 30 d later. We found that mice displayed 30-d memory for context- and tone-fear starting at P25. We did not find sex differences in the ontogeny of either type of fear memory. Furthermore, 30-d contextual fear retrieval led to an increase in the number of c-Fos positive cells in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex only at an age in which the contextual fear memory was successfully retrieved. These data delineate a precise time line for the emergence of persistent contextual and auditory fear memories in mice and suggest that the prelimbic cortex is only recruited for remote memory recall upon the onset of memory persistence.
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22
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Khanal P, Hotulainen P. Dendritic Spine Initiation in Brain Development, Learning and Diseases and Impact of BAR-Domain Proteins. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092392. [PMID: 34572042 PMCID: PMC8468246 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small, bulbous protrusions along neuronal dendrites where most of the excitatory synapses are located. Dendritic spine density in normal human brain increases rapidly before and after birth achieving the highest density around 2-8 years. Density decreases during adolescence, reaching a stable level in adulthood. The changes in dendritic spines are considered structural correlates for synaptic plasticity as well as the basis of experience-dependent remodeling of neuronal circuits. Alterations in spine density correspond to aberrant brain function observed in various neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Dendritic spine initiation affects spine density. In this review, we discuss the importance of spine initiation in brain development, learning, and potential complications resulting from altered spine initiation in neurological diseases. Current literature shows that two Bin Amphiphysin Rvs (BAR) domain-containing proteins, MIM/Mtss1 and SrGAP3, are involved in spine initiation. We review existing literature and open databases to discuss whether other BAR-domain proteins could also take part in spine initiation. Finally, we discuss the potential molecular mechanisms on how BAR-domain proteins could regulate spine initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pushpa Khanal
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Tukholmankatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland;
- HiLIFE-Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pirta Hotulainen
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Tukholmankatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland;
- Correspondence:
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23
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Fuentes-Ramos M, Alaiz-Noya M, Barco A. Transcriptome and epigenome analysis of engram cells: Next-generation sequencing technologies in memory research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:865-875. [PMID: 34097980 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcription and epigenetic changes are integral components of the neuronal response to stimulation and have been postulated to be drivers or substrates for enduring changes in animal behavior, including learning and memory. Memories are thought to be deposited in neuronal assemblies called engrams, i.e., groups of cells that undergo persistent physical or chemical changes during learning and are selectively reactivated to retrieve the memory. Despite the research progress made in recent years, the identity of specific epigenetic changes, if any, that occur in these cells and subsequently contribute to the persistence of memory traces remains unknown. The analysis of these changes is challenging due to the difficulty of exploring molecular alterations that only occur in a relatively small percentage of cells embedded in a complex tissue. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in this field and the promise of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and epigenome editing methods for overcoming these challenges and address long-standing questions concerning the role of epigenetic mechanisms in memory encoding, maintenance and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Fuentes-Ramos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Marta Alaiz-Noya
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Angel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
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24
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Jing W, Xia Y, Li M, Cui Y, Chen M, Xue M, Guo D, Biswal BB, Yao D. State-independent and state-dependent patterns in the rat default mode network. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118148. [PMID: 33984491 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Resting-state studies have typically assumed constant functional connectivity (FC) between brain regions, and these parameters of interest provide meaningful descriptions of the functional organization of the brain. A number of studies have recently provided evidence pointing to dynamic FC fluctuations in the resting brain, especially in higher-order regions such as the default mode network (DMN). The neural activities underlying dynamic FC remain poorly understood. Here, we recorded electrophysiological signals from DMN regions in freely behaving rats. The dynamic FCs between signals within the DMN were estimated by the phase locking value (PLV) method with sliding time windows across vigilance states [quiet wakefulness (QW) and slow-wave and rapid eye movement sleep (SWS and REMS)]. Factor analysis was then performed to reveal the hidden patterns within the DMN. We identified distinct spatial FC patterns according to the similarities between their temporal dynamics. Interestingly, some of these patterns were vigilance state-dependent, while others were independent across states. The temporal contributions of these patterns fluctuated over time, and their interactive relationships were different across vigilance states. These spatial patterns with dynamic temporal contributions and combinations may offer a flexible framework for efficiently integrating information to support cognition and behavior. These findings provide novel insights into the dynamic functional organization of the rat DMN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jing
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China; Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 4030030, China
| | - Yang Xia
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China
| | - Min Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Cui
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China
| | - Mingming Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China; School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Miaomiao Xue
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China
| | - Daqing Guo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07103, United States.
| | - Dezhong Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; Research Unit of NeuroInformation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU035 Chengdu, China; School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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25
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Chaudhary R, Agarwal V, Kaushik AS, Rehman M. Involvement of myocyte enhancer factor 2c in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06854. [PMID: 33981903 PMCID: PMC8082549 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), a family of transcription factor of MADS (minichromosome maintenance 1, agamous, deficiens and serum response factor)-box family needed in the growth and differentiation of a variety of human cells, such as neural, immune, endothelial, and muscles. As per existing literature, MEF2 transcription factors have also been associated with synaptic plasticity, the developmental mechanisms governing memory and learning, and several neurologic conditions, like autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Recent genomic findings have ascertained a link between MEF2 defects, particularly in the MEF2C isoform and the ASD. In this review, we summarized a concise overview of the general regulation, structure and functional roles of the MEF2C transcription factor. We further outlined the potential role of MEF2C as a risk factor for various neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD, MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishabh Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Vipul Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Arjun Singh Kaushik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Mujeeba Rehman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
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26
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Rao-Ruiz P, Visser E, Mitrić M, Smit AB, van den Oever MC. A Synaptic Framework for the Persistence of Memory Engrams. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:661476. [PMID: 33841124 PMCID: PMC8024575 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.661476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to store and retrieve learned information over prolonged periods of time is an essential and intriguing property of the brain. Insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie memory consolidation is of utmost importance for our understanding of memory persistence and how this is affected in memory disorders. Recent evidence indicates that a given memory is encoded by sparsely distributed neurons that become highly activated during learning, so-called engram cells. Research by us and others confirms the persistent nature of cortical engram cells by showing that these neurons are required for memory expression up to at least 1 month after they were activated during learning. Strengthened synaptic connectivity between engram cells is thought to ensure reactivation of the engram cell network during retrieval. However, given the continuous integration of new information into existing neuronal circuits and the relatively rapid turnover rate of synaptic proteins, it is unclear whether a lasting learning-induced increase in synaptic connectivity is mediated by stable synapses or by continuous dynamic turnover of synapses of the engram cell network. Here, we first discuss evidence for the persistence of engram cells and memory-relevant adaptations in synaptic plasticity, and then propose models of synaptic adaptations and molecular mechanisms that may support memory persistence through the maintenance of enhanced synaptic connectivity within an engram cell network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther Visser
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Miodrag Mitrić
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michel C van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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27
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Ferraris M, Cassel JC, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Stephan A, Quilichini PP. The nucleus reuniens, a thalamic relay for cortico-hippocampal interaction in recent and remote memory consolidation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:339-354. [PMID: 33631314 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The consolidation of declarative memories is believed to occur mostly during sleep and involves a dialogue between two brain regions, the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. The information encoded during experience by neuronal assemblies is replayed during sleep leading to the progressive strengthening and integration of the memory trace in the prefrontal cortex. The gradual transfer of information from the hippocampus to the medial prefrontal cortex for long-term storage requires the synchronization of cortico-hippocampal networks by different oscillations, like ripples, spindles, and slow oscillations. Recent studies suggest the involvement of a third partner, the nucleus reuniens, in memory consolidation. Its bidirectional connections with the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex place the reuniens in a key position to relay information between the two structures. Indeed, many topical works reveal the original role that the nucleus reuniens occupies in different recent and remote memories consolidation. This review aimed to examine these contributions, as well as its functional embedment in this complex memory network, and provide some insights on the possible mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëva Ferraris
- Aix Marseille Univ, INSERM, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire De Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Université De Strasbourg, F-67000, Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire De Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Université De Strasbourg, F-67000, Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Aline Stephan
- Laboratoire De Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Université De Strasbourg, F-67000, Strasbourg, France; LNCA, UMR 7364 - CNRS, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
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Prefrontal NMDA-receptor antagonism disrupts encoding or consolidation but not retrieval of incidental context learning. Behav Brain Res 2021; 405:113175. [PMID: 33596432 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The Context Preexposure Facilitation Effect (CPFE) is a variant of contextual fear conditioning in which learning about the context, acquiring a context-shock association, and retrieval of this association occur separately across three phases (context preexposure, immediate-shock training, and retention). We have shown that prefrontal inactivation or muscarinic-receptor antagonism prior to any phase disrupts retention test freezing during the CPFE in adolescent rats (Heroux et al., 2017; Robinson-Drummer et al., 2017). Furthermore, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is the only region in which robust learning-related expression of the immediate early genes c-Fos, Arc, Egr-1 and Npas4 is observed during immediate-shock training in the CPFE (Asok et al., 2013; Heroux et al., 2018; Schreiber et al., 2014). However, the role of prefrontal NMDA-receptor plasticity in supporting preexposure- and training-day processes of the CPFE is not known. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of intra-mPFC infusion of the NMDA-receptor antagonist MK-801 or saline vehicle prior to context preexposure (Experiment 1) or immediate-shock training (Experiment 2) in adolescent Long-Evans male and female rats. This infusion given prior to context preexposure but not training abolished retention test freezing, with no difference between MK-801-infused rats and non-associative controls preexposed to an alternative context (pooled across drug). These results demonstrate a role of prefrontal NMDA-receptor plasticity in the acquisition and/or consolidation of incidental context learning (i.e., encoded in the absence of reinforcement). In contrast, this plasticity is not required for context retrieval, or acquisition, expression, or consolidation of a context-shock association during immediate-shock training in the CPFE. These experiments add to a growing body of work implicating the mPFC in Pavlovian contextual fear conditioning processes in rodents.
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Simonetti M, Paldy E, Njoo C, Bali KK, Worzfeld T, Pitzer C, Kuner T, Offermanns S, Mauceri D, Kuner R. The impact of Semaphorin 4C/Plexin-B2 signaling on fear memory via remodeling of neuronal and synaptic morphology. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1376-1398. [PMID: 31444474 PMCID: PMC7985029 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0491-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant fear is a cornerstone of several psychiatric disorders. Consequently, there is large interest in elucidation of signaling mechanisms that link extracellular cues to changes in neuronal function and structure in brain pathways that are important in the generation and maintenance of fear memory and its behavioral expression. Members of the Plexin-B family of receptors for class 4 semaphorins play important roles in developmental plasticity of neurons, and their expression persists in some areas of the adult nervous system. Here, we aimed to elucidate the role of Semaphorin 4C (Sema4C) and its cognate receptor, Plexin-B2, in the expression of contextual and cued fear memory, setting a mechanistic focus on structural plasticity and exploration of contributing signaling pathways. We observed that Plexin-B2 and Sema4C are expressed in forebrain areas related to fear memory, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and the hippocampus, and their expression is regulated by aversive stimuli that induce fear memory. By generating forebrain-specific Plexin-B2 knockout mice and analyzing fear-related behaviors, we demonstrate that Sema4C-PlexinB2 signaling plays a crucial functional role in the recent and remote recall of fear memory. Detailed neuronal morphological analyses revealed that Sema4C-PlexinB2 signaling largely mediates fear-induced structural plasticity by enhancing dendritic ramifications and modulating synaptic density in the adult hippocampus. Analyses on signaling-related mutant mice showed that these functions are mediated by PlexinB2-dependent RhoA activation. These results deliver important insights into the mechanistic understanding of maladaptive plasticity in fear circuits and have implications for novel therapeutic strategies against fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Simonetti
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eszter Paldy
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Njoo
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kiran Kumar Bali
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Worzfeld
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Institute of Pharmacology, Marburg University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 1, 35043 Marburg, Germany ,grid.418032.c0000 0004 0491 220XDepartment of Pharmacology, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Anatomy and Cell Biology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Offermanns
- grid.418032.c0000 0004 0491 220XDepartment of Pharmacology, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Daniela Mauceri
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Neurobiology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Prefrontal Neural Ensembles Develop Selective Code for Stimulus Associations within Minutes of Novel Experiences. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8355-8366. [PMID: 32989098 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1503-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevailing theories posit that the hippocampus rapidly learns stimulus conjunctions during novel experiences, whereas the neocortex learns slowly through subsequent, off-line interaction with the hippocampus. Parallel evidence, however, shows that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC; a critical node of the neocortical network supporting long-term memory storage) undergoes rapid modifications of gene expression, synaptic structure, and physiology at the time of encoding. These observations, along with impaired learning with disrupted mPFC, suggest that mPFC neurons may exhibit rapid neural plasticity during novel experiences; however, direct empirical evidence is lacking. We extracellularly recorded action potentials of cells in the prelimbic region of the mPFC, while male rats received a sequence of stimulus presentations for the first time in life. Moment-to-moment tracking of neural ensemble firing patterns revealed that the prelimbic network activity exhibited an abrupt transition within 1 min after the first encounter of an aversive but not neutral stimulus. This network-level change was driven by ∼15% of neurons that immediately elevated their spontaneous firing rates (FRs) and developed firing responses to a neutral stimulus preceding the aversive stimulus within a few instances of their pairings. When a new sensory stimulus was paired with the same aversive stimulus, about half of these neurons generalized firing responses to the new stimulus association. Thus, prelimbic neurons are capable of rapidly forming ensemble codes for novel stimulus associations within minutes. This circuit property may enable the mPFC to rapidly detect and selectively encode the central content of novel experiences.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During a new experience, a region of the brain, called the hippocampus, rapidly forms its memory and later instructs another region, called the neocortex, that stores its content. Consistent with this dominant view, cells in the neocortex gradually strengthen the selectivity for the memory content over weeks after novel experiences. However, we still do not know precisely when these cells begin to develop the selectivity. We found that neocortical cells were capable of forming the selectivity for ongoing events within a few minutes of new experiences. This finding provides support for an alternative view that the neocortex works with, but not follows, the hippocampus to form new memories.
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Zagrebelsky M, Tacke C, Korte M. BDNF signaling during the lifetime of dendritic spines. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 382:185-199. [PMID: 32537724 PMCID: PMC7529616 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03226-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are tiny membrane specialization forming the postsynaptic part of most excitatory synapses. They have been suggested to play a crucial role in regulating synaptic transmission during development and in adult learning processes. Changes in their number, size, and shape are correlated with processes of structural synaptic plasticity and learning and memory and also with neurodegenerative diseases, when spines are lost. Thus, their alterations can correlate with neuronal homeostasis, but also with dysfunction in several neurological disorders characterized by cognitive impairment. Therefore, it is important to understand how different stages in the life of a dendritic spine, including formation, maturation, and plasticity, are strictly regulated. In this context, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), belonging to the NGF-neurotrophin family, is among the most intensively investigated molecule. This review would like to report the current knowledge regarding the role of BDNF in regulating dendritic spine number, structure, and plasticity concentrating especially on its signaling via its two often functionally antagonistic receptors, TrkB and p75NTR. In addition, we point out a series of open points in which, while the role of BDNF signaling is extremely likely conclusive, evidence is still missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zagrebelsky
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstr 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Inhoffenstr. 7, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Charlotte Tacke
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstr 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Korte
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstr 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Inhoffenstr. 7, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
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32
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Ferreira-Fernandes E, Pinto-Correia B, Quintino C, Remondes M. A Gradient of Hippocampal Inputs to the Medial Mesocortex. Cell Rep 2020; 29:3266-3279.e3. [PMID: 31801088 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory-guided decisions depend on complex interactions between the hippocampus (HIPP) and medial mesocortical (MMC) regions, including the anterior cingulate (CG) and retrosplenial (RSC). The functional circuitry underlying these interactions is unclear. Using anatomy, electrophysiology, and optogenetics, we show that such circuitry is characterized by a functional-anatomical gradient. While the CG receives hippocampal excitatory projections originated in CA1 stratum pyramidale, the RSC additionally receives long-range inhibitory inputs from radiatum and lacunosum-moleculare. Such hippocampal projections establish bona fide synapses, with the RSC densely targeted on its superficial layers L1-L3 by a combination of inhibitory and excitatory synapses. We show that the MMC is targeted by dorsal-intermediate CA1 (diCA1) axons following a caudorostral gradient in which a dense, dual (excitatory/inhibitory), layer-specific projection is progressively converted in a sparse, excitatory, and diffuse projection. This gradient is reflected in higher oscillatory synchronicity between the HIPP and RSC in the awake-behaving animal, compatible with their known functional proximity and contrasting with that found in the CG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Ferreira-Fernandes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Pinto-Correia
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Carolina Quintino
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Miguel Remondes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1649-028, Portugal.
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33
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Rizzello E, Middei S, Marchetti C. Synaptic Correlates of Anterograde Amnesia and Intact Retrograde Memory in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2020; 17:259-268. [DOI: 10.2174/1567205017666200224122113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Background:
Clinical evidence indicates that patients affected by Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
fail to form new memories although their memories for old events are intact. This amnesic pattern depends
on the selective vulnerability to AD-neurodegeneration of the hippocampus, the brain region that
sustains the formation of new memories, while cortical regions that store remote memories are spared.
Objective:
To identify the cellular mechanisms underlying impaired recent memories and intact remote
memories in a mouse model of AD.
Method:
Glutamatergic synaptic currents were recorded by patch-clamp in acute hippocampal and
anterior Cingulate Cortical (aCC) slices of AD-like Tg2576 mice and Wild-type (Wt) littermates subjected
to the Contextual Fear Conditioning (CFC) task or in naïve conditions.
Results:
Glutamatergic synaptic currents were recorded by patch-clamp in acute hippocampal and
anterior Cingulate Cortical (aCC) slices of AD-like Tg2576 mice and Wild-type (Wt) littermates subjected
to the Contextual Fear Conditioning (CFC) task or in naïve conditions.
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that in the early AD stages synaptic plasticity of CA1 synapses, crucial
to form new memories, is lost, while plasticity of aCC synapses is intact and contributes to the persistence
of long-term memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Rizzello
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Fondazione Rita Levi-Montalcini, Via Regina Elena 295, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Middei
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Via E. Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchetti
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Fondazione Rita Levi-Montalcini, Via Regina Elena 295, 00161, Rome, Italy
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Costa JF, Dines M, Lamprecht R. The Role of Rac GTPase in Dendritic Spine Morphogenesis and Memory. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:12. [PMID: 32362820 PMCID: PMC7182350 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to form memories in the brain is needed for daily functions, and its impairment is associated with human mental disorders. Evidence indicates that long-term memory (LTM)-related processes such as its consolidation, extinction and forgetting involve changes of synaptic efficacy produced by alterations in neural transmission and morphology. Modulation of the morphology and number of dendritic spines has been proposed to contribute to changes in neuronal transmission mediating such LTM-related processes. Rac GTPase activity is regulated by synaptic activation and it can affect spine morphology by controlling actin-regulatory proteins. Recent evidence shows that changes in Rac GTPase activity affect memory consolidation, extinction, erasure and forgetting and can affect spine morphology in brain areas that mediate these behaviors. Altered Rac GTPase activity is associated with abnormal spine morphology and brain disorders. By affecting Rac GTPase activity we can further understand the roles of spine morphogenesis in memory. Moreover, manipulation of Rac GTPase activity may serve as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of memory-related brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Raphael Lamprecht
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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35
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Sathiyakumar S, Skromne Carrasco S, Saad L, Richards BA. Systems consolidation impairs behavioral flexibility. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:201-208. [PMID: 32295840 PMCID: PMC7164516 DOI: 10.1101/lm.051243.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility is important in a changing environment. Previous research suggests that systems consolidation, a long-term poststorage process that alters memory traces, may reduce behavioral flexibility. However, exactly how systems consolidation affects flexibility is unknown. Here, we tested how systems consolidation affects: (1) flexibility in response to value changes and (2) flexibility in response to changes in the optimal sequence of actions. Mice were trained to obtain food rewards in a Y-maze by switching nose pokes between three arms. During initial training, all arms were rewarded and mice simply had to switch arms in order to maximize rewards. Then, after either a 1 or 28 d delay, we either devalued one arm, or we reinforced a specific sequence of pokes. We found that after a 1 d delay mice adapted relatively easily to the changes. In contrast, mice given a 28 d delay struggled to adapt, especially for changes to the optimal sequence of actions. Immediate early gene imaging suggested that the 28 d mice were less reliant on their hippocampus and more reliant on their medial prefrontal cortex. These data suggest that systems consolidation reduces behavioral flexibility, particularly for changes to the optimal sequence of actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankirthana Sathiyakumar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Sofia Skromne Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Lydia Saad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Blake A Richards
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.,Mila, Montréal, Quebec H2S 3H1, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.,School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec H3A 2A7, Canada
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36
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Takehara‐Nishiuchi K. Neurobiology of systems memory consolidation. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:6850-6863. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Takehara‐Nishiuchi
- Department of Psychology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Neuroscience Program University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
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37
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Steadman PE, Xia F, Ahmed M, Mocle AJ, Penning ARA, Geraghty AC, Steenland HW, Monje M, Josselyn SA, Frankland PW. Disruption of Oligodendrogenesis Impairs Memory Consolidation in Adult Mice. Neuron 2019; 105:150-164.e6. [PMID: 31753579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The generation of myelin-forming oligodendrocytes persists throughout life and is regulated by neural activity. Here we tested whether experience-driven changes in oligodendrogenesis are important for memory consolidation. We found that water maze learning promotes oligodendrogenesis and de novo myelination in the cortex and associated white matter tracts. Preventing these learning-induced increases in oligodendrogenesis without affecting existing oligodendrocytes impaired memory consolidation of water maze, as well as contextual fear, memories. These results suggest that de novo myelination tunes activated circuits, promoting coordinated activity that is important for memory consolidation. Consistent with this, contextual fear learning increased the coupling of hippocampal sharp wave ripples and cortical spindles, and these learning-induced increases in ripple-spindle coupling were blocked when oligodendrogenesis was suppressed. Our results identify a non-neuronal form of plasticity that remodels hippocampal-cortical networks following learning and is required for memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Steadman
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Frances Xia
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Moriam Ahmed
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Andrew J Mocle
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Amber R A Penning
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Anna C Geraghty
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hendrik W Steenland
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle 06120, Germany
| | - Michelle Monje
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sheena A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Brain, Mind and Consciousness Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
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38
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Giachero M, Pavesi E, Calfa G, Motta SC, Canteras NS, Molina VA, Carobrez AP. Inactivation of the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray matter impairs the promoting influence of stress on fear memory during retrieval. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:3117-3132. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01956-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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39
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Bijoch L, Borczyk M, Czajkowski R. Bases of Jerzy Konorski's theory of synaptic plasticity. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:1857-1866. [PMID: 31368131 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Bijoch
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Borczyk
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Czajkowski
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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40
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Weible AP, Posner MI, Niell CM. Differential Involvement of Three Brain Regions during Mouse Skill Learning. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0143-19.2019. [PMID: 31371454 PMCID: PMC6709218 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0143-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human skill learning is marked by a gradual decrease in reaction time (RT) and errors as the skill is acquired. To better understand the influence of brain areas thought to be involved in skill learning, we trained mice to associate visual-spatial cues with specific motor behaviors for a water reward. Task acquisition occurred over weeks and performance approximated a power function as often found with human skill learning. Using optogenetics we suppressed the primary visual cortex (V1), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), or dorsal hippocampus (dHC) on 20% of trials at different stages of learning. Intermittent suppression of the V1 greatly reduced task performance on suppressed trials across multiple stages but did not change the overall rate of learning. In accord with some recent models of skill learning, ACC suppression produced higher error rates on suppressed trials throughout learning the skill, with effects intensifying in the later stages. This would suggest that cognitive influences mediated by the anterior cingulate continue throughout learning. Suppression of the hippocampus only modestly affected performance, with largely similar effects seen across stages. These results indicate different degrees of V1, ACC, and dHC involvement in acquisition and performance of this visual-spatial task and that the structures operate in parallel, and not in series, across learning stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldis P Weible
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon, 97403
| | - Michael I Posner
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon, 97403
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Regular Music Exposure in Juvenile Rats Facilitates Conditioned Fear Extinction and Reduces Anxiety after Foot Shock in Adulthood. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:8740674. [PMID: 31380440 PMCID: PMC6662454 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8740674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Music exposure is known to play a positive role in learning and memory and can be a complementary treatment for anxiety and fear. However, whether juvenile music exposure affects adult behavior is not known. Two-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to music for 2 hours daily or to background noise (controls) for a period of 3 weeks. At 60 days of age, rats were subjected to auditory fear conditioning, fear extinction training, and anxiety-like behavior assessments or to anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) assays. We found that the music-exposed rats showed significantly less freezing behaviors during fear extinction training and spent more time in the open arm of the elevated plus maze after fear conditioning when compared with the control rats. Moreover, the BDNF levels in the ACC in the music group were significantly higher than those of the controls with the fear conditioning session. This result suggests that music exposure in juvenile rats decreases anxiety-like behaviors, facilitates fear extinction, and increases BDNF levels in the ACC in adulthood after a stressful event.
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Vetere G, Borreca A, Pignataro A, Conforto G, Giustizieri M, Marinelli S, Ammassari-Teule M. Coincident Pre- and Post-Synaptic Cortical Remodelling Disengages Episodic Memory from Its Original Context. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:8513-8523. [PMID: 31267371 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01652-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The view that the neocortex is remotely recruited for long-term episodic memory recall is challenged by data showing that an intense transcriptional and synaptic activity is detected in this region immediately after training. By measuring markers of synaptic activity at recent and remote time points from contextual fear conditioning (CFC), we could show that pre-synaptic changes are selectively detected 1 day post-training when the memory is anchored to the training context. Differently, pre- and post-synaptic changes are detected 14 days post-training when the memory generalizes to other contexts. Confirming that coincident pre- and post-synaptic remodelling mediates the disengagement of memory from its original context, DREADDs-mediated enhancement of cortical neuron activity during CFC training anticipates expression of a schematic memory and observation of bilateral synaptic remodelling. Together, our data show that the plastic properties of cortical synapses vary over time and specialise in relation to the quality of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisella Vetere
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Psychobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.,Laboratoire Plasticité du Cerveau, ESPCI-Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielle, Paris, France
| | - Antonella Borreca
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Psychobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia, Rome, Italy.,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Neuroscienze, Milan, Italy
| | - Annabella Pignataro
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Psychobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Conforto
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Psychobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Martine Ammassari-Teule
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Psychobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy. .,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia, Rome, Italy.
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Whyte AJ, Kietzman HW, Swanson AM, Butkovich LM, Barbee BR, Bassell GJ, Gross C, Gourley SL. Reward-Related Expectations Trigger Dendritic Spine Plasticity in the Mouse Ventrolateral Orbitofrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4595-4605. [PMID: 30940719 PMCID: PMC6554633 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2031-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
An essential aspect of goal-directed decision-making is selecting actions based on anticipated consequences, a process that involves the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and potentially, the plasticity of dendritic spines in this region. To investigate this possibility, we trained male and female mice to nose poke for food reinforcers, or we delivered the same number of food reinforcers non-contingently to separate mice. We then decreased the likelihood of reinforcement for trained mice, requiring them to modify action-outcome expectations. In a separate experiment, we blocked action-outcome updating via chemogenetic inactivation of the OFC. In both cases, successfully selecting actions based on their likely consequences was associated with fewer immature, thin-shaped dendritic spines and a greater proportion of mature, mushroom-shaped spines in the ventrolateral OFC. This pattern was distinct from spine loss associated with aging, and we identified no effects on hippocampal CA1 neurons. Given that the OFC is involved in prospective calculations of likely outcomes, even when they are not observable, constraining spinogenesis while preserving mature spines may be important for solidifying durable expectations. To investigate causal relationships, we inhibited the RNA-binding protein fragile X mental retardation protein (encoded by Fmr1), which constrains dendritic spine turnover. Ventrolateral OFC-selective Fmr1 knockdown recapitulated the behavioral effects of inducible OFC inactivation (and lesions; also shown here), impairing action-outcome conditioning, and caused dendritic spine excess. Our findings suggest that a proper balance of dendritic spine plasticity within the OFC is necessary for one's ability to select actions based on anticipated consequences.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Navigating a changing environment requires associating actions with their likely outcomes and updating these associations when they change. Dendritic spine plasticity is likely involved, yet relationships are unconfirmed. Using behavioral, chemogenetic, and viral-mediated gene silencing strategies and high-resolution microscopy, we find that modifying action-outcome expectations is associated with fewer immature spines and a greater proportion of mature spines in the ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Given that the OFC is involved in prospectively calculating the likely outcomes of one's behavior, even when they are not observable, constraining spinogenesis while preserving mature spines may be important for maintaining durable expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonzo J Whyte
- Departments of Cell Biology
- Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center
| | - Henry W Kietzman
- Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Andrew M Swanson
- Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Laura M Butkovich
- Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Britton R Barbee
- Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Gary J Bassell
- Departments of Cell Biology
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Christina Gross
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, and
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine,
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
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Emerging roles for MEF2 in brain development and mental disorders. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 59:49-58. [PMID: 31129473 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The MEF2 family of transcription factors regulate large programs of gene expression important for the development and maintenance of many tissues, including the brain. MEF2 proteins are regulated by neuronal synaptic activity, and they recruit several epigenetic enzymes to influence chromatin structure and gene expression during development and throughout adulthood. Here, we provide a brief review of the recent literature reporting important roles for MEF2 during early brain development and function, and we highlight emerging roles for MEF2 as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illnesses, such as autism, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia.
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Wirt RA, Hyman JM. ACC Theta Improves Hippocampal Contextual Processing during Remote Recall. Cell Rep 2019; 27:2313-2327.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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Chromodomain Y-like Protein-Mediated Histone Crotonylation Regulates Stress-Induced Depressive Behaviors. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:635-649. [PMID: 30665597 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and life-threatening illness in modern society. The susceptibility to major depressive disorder is profoundly influenced by environmental factors, such as stressful lifestyle or traumatic events, which could impose maladaptive transcriptional program through epigenetic regulation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we examined the role of histone crotonylation, a novel type of histone modification, and chromodomain Y-like protein (CDYL), a crotonyl-coenzyme A hydratase and histone methyllysine reader, in this process. METHODS We used chronic social defeat stress and microdefeat stress to examine the depressive behaviors. In addition, we combined procedures that diagnose behavioral strategy in male mice with histone extraction, viral-mediated CDYL manipulations, RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation, Western blot, and messenger RNA quantification. RESULTS The results indicate that stress-susceptible rodents exhibit lower levels of histone crotonylation in the medial prefrontal cortex concurrent with selective upregulation of CDYL. Overexpression of CDYL in the prelimbic cortex, a subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex, increases microdefeat-induced social avoidance behaviors and anhedonia in mice. Conversely, knockdown of CDYL in the prelimbic cortex prevents chronic social defeat stress-induced depression-like behaviors. Mechanistically, we show that CDYL inhibits structural synaptic plasticity mainly by transcriptional repression of neuropeptide VGF nerve growth factor inducible, and this activity is dependent on its dual effect on histone crotonylation and H3K27 trimethylation on the VGF promoter. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that CDYL-mediated histone crotonylation plays a critical role in regulating stress-induced depression, providing a potential therapeutic target for major depressive disorder.
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Klein MM, Cholvin T, Cosquer B, Salvadori A, Le Mero J, Kourouma L, Boutillier AL, Pereira de Vasconcelos A, Cassel JC. Ventral midline thalamus lesion prevents persistence of new (learning-triggered) hippocampal spines, delayed neocortical spinogenesis, and spatial memory durability. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1659-1676. [PMID: 30927056 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01865-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ventral midline thalamus contributes to hippocampo-cortical interactions supporting systems-level consolidation of memories. Recent hippocampus-dependent memories rely on hippocampal connectivity remodeling. Remote memories are underpinned by neocortical connectivity remodeling. After a ventral midline thalamus lesion, recent spatial memories are formed normally but do not last. Why these memories do not endure after the lesion is unknown. We hypothesized that a lesion could interfere with hippocampal and/or neocortical connectivity remodeling. To test this hypothesis, in a first experiment male rats were subjected to lesion of the reuniens and rhomboid (ReRh) nuclei, trained in a water maze, and tested in a probe trial 5 or 25 days post-acquisition. Dendritic spines were counted in the dorsal hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. Spatial learning resulted in a significant increase of mushroom spines in region CA1. This modification persisted between 5 and 25 days post-acquisition in Sham rats, not in rats with ReRh lesion. Furthermore, 25 days after acquisition, the number of mushroom spines in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) had undergone a dramatic increase in Sham rats; ReRh lesion prevented this gain. In a second experiment, the increase of c-Fos expression in CA1 accompanying memory retrieval was not affected by the lesion, be it for recent or remote memory. However, in the ACC, the lesion had reduced the retrieval-triggered c-Fos expression observed 25 days post-acquisition. These observations suggest that a ReRh lesion might disrupt spatial remote memory formation by preventing persistence of early remodeled hippocampal connectivity, and spinogenesis in the ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Muguet Klein
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibault Cholvin
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte Cosquer
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Aurélie Salvadori
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julia Le Mero
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lola Kourouma
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Pereira de Vasconcelos
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364, Université de Strasbourg-CNRS, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France. .,CNRS, LNCA UMR 7364, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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Chen YF, Chen ZX, Wang RH, Shi YW, Xue L, Wang XG, Zhao H. Knockdown of CLC-3 in the hippocampal CA1 impairs contextual fear memory. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:132-145. [PMID: 30025794 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies support a critical role of hippocampus in contextual fear memory. Structural and functional alterations of hippocampus occur frequently in posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Recent reports reveal that knockout of CLC-3, a member of the CLC family of anion channels and transporters, leads to neuronal degeneration and loss of hippocampus. However, the role of CLC-3 in contextual fear memory remains unknown. Using adenovirus and adeno-associated virus gene transfer to knockdown CLC-3 in hippocampal CA1, we investigate the role of CLC-3 in contextual fear memory. CLC-3 expression is increased in hippocampal CA1 after formation of long-term contextual fear memory. Knockdown of CLC-3 by adenovirus infusion in hippocampal CA1 significantly attenuates the contextual fear memory, reduces spine density, induces defects of excitatory synaptic ultrastructure showed by the decreased PSD length, PSD thickness and active zone length, and impairs L-LTP induction and maintenance. Knockdown of CLC-3 also induces the synaptic NMDAR subunit composition to an increased GluN2A/GluN2B ratio pattern and reduces the activity of CaMKII-α. Furthermore, selectively knockdown of CLC-3 in excitatory neurons by adeno-associated virus driven from CaMKII-α promoter is sufficient to impair long-term contextual fear memory. These findings highlight that CLC-3 in hippocampal CA1 is necessary for contextual fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Fei Chen
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Zi-Xiang Chen
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Run-Hua Wang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Yan-Wei Shi
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Li Xue
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China
| | - Xiao-Guang Wang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
| | - Hu Zhao
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
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Pedraza LK, Sierra RO, Giachero M, Nunes-Souza W, Lotz FN, de Oliveira Alvares L. Chronic fluoxetine prevents fear memory generalization and enhances subsequent extinction by remodeling hippocampal dendritic spines and slowing down systems consolidation. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:53. [PMID: 30705259 PMCID: PMC6355903 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0371-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear memory overgeneralization contributes to the genesis and persistence of anxiety disorders and is a central hallmark in the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent findings suggest that fear generalization is closely related to hippocampal dependency during retrieval. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine has been used as a first-line treatment for PTSD; however, how it exerts its therapeutic effect remains a matter of debate. Here, using contextual fear conditioning in rats, we show that chronic fluoxetine treatment prevents fear generalization and enhances subsequent extinction. Moreover, fluoxetine treatment after extinction prevents spontaneous recovery. The mechanism through which fluoxetine affects generalization and extinction seems to be through the postponement of systems consolidation, thereby maintaining hippocampal involvement during retrieval. Such an effect relies on a remodeling of dendritic spines in the hippocampus, as well as the number of mature, mushroom-type spines promoted by fluoxetine treatment. In order to further investigate whether fear generalization is a potential predictor of extinction effectiveness, we categorized a large naive population according to their generalization rate. We found that discriminator rats showed a better extinction profile compared to generalizers, suggesting that the generalization rate predicts extinction effectiveness. Hence, we propose that the therapeutic strategy of choice should take into account the extension of memory generalization, in which therapies based on extinction could induce a better outcome in patients who present less fear overgeneralization. These results open new avenues for the development of interventions that prevent fear generalization by maintaining memory dependency of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizeth K. Pedraza
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Memória, Biosciences Institute, Porto Alegre, 91.501-970 Brazil ,0000 0001 2200 7498grid.8532.cGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90.046-900 Brazil
| | - Rodrigo O. Sierra
- 0000 0001 2200 7498grid.8532.cGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90.046-900 Brazil ,Laboratório de Psicobiologia e Neurocomputação, Biophysics Department, Biosciences Institute, Porto Alegre, 91.501-970 Brazil
| | - Marcelo Giachero
- 0000 0001 2188 7235grid.411237.2Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Walquiria Nunes-Souza
- 0000 0001 2200 7498grid.8532.cGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90.046-900 Brazil
| | - Fernanda N. Lotz
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia e Neurocomputação, Biophysics Department, Biosciences Institute, Porto Alegre, 91.501-970 Brazil
| | - Lucas de Oliveira Alvares
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia da Memória, Biosciences Institute, Porto Alegre, 91.501-970, Brazil. .,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90.046-900, Brazil.
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Asok A, Kandel ER, Rayman JB. The Neurobiology of Fear Generalization. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 12:329. [PMID: 30697153 PMCID: PMC6340999 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The generalization of fear memories is an adaptive neurobiological process that promotes survival in complex and dynamic environments. When confronted with a potential threat, an animal must select an appropriate defensive response based on previous experiences that are not identical, weighing cues and contextual information that may predict safety or danger. Like other aspects of fear memory, generalization is mediated by the coordinated actions of prefrontal, hippocampal, amygdalar, and thalamic brain areas. In this review article, we describe the current understanding of the behavioral, neural, genetic, and biochemical mechanisms involved in the generalization of fear. Fear generalization is a hallmark of many anxiety and stress-related disorders, and its emergence, severity, and manifestation are sex-dependent. Therefore, to improve the dialog between human and animal studies as well as to accelerate the development of effective therapeutics, we emphasize the need to examine both sex differences and remote timescales in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Asok
- Jerome L. Greene Science Center, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric R. Kandel
- Jerome L. Greene Science Center, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joseph B. Rayman
- Jerome L. Greene Science Center, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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