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Stempel AV, Evans DA, Arocas OP, Claudi F, Lenzi SC, Kutsarova E, Margrie TW, Branco T. Tonically active GABAergic neurons in the dorsal periaqueductal gray control instinctive escape in mice. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3031-3039.e7. [PMID: 38936364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.068] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Escape behavior is a set of locomotor actions that move an animal away from threat. While these actions can be stereotyped, it is advantageous for survival that they are flexible.1,2,3 For example, escape probability depends on predation risk and competing motivations,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and flight to safety requires continuous adjustments of trajectory and must terminate at the appropriate place and time.12,13,14,15,16 This degree of flexibility suggests that modulatory components, like inhibitory networks, act on the neural circuits controlling instinctive escape.17,18,19,20,21,22 In mice, the decision to escape from imminent threats is implemented by a feedforward circuit in the midbrain, where excitatory vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive (VGluT2+) neurons in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) compute escape initiation and escape vigor.23,24,25 Here we tested the hypothesis that local GABAergic neurons within the dPAG control escape behavior by setting the excitability of the dPAG escape network. Using in vitro patch-clamp and in vivo neural activity recordings, we found that vesicular GABA transporter-positive (VGAT+) dPAG neurons fire action potentials tonically in the absence of synaptic inputs and are a major source of inhibition to VGluT2+ dPAG neurons. Activity in VGAT+ dPAG cells transiently decreases at escape onset and increases during escape, peaking at escape termination. Optogenetically increasing or decreasing VGAT+ dPAG activity changes the probability of escape when the stimulation is delivered at threat onset and the duration of escape when delivered after escape initiation. We conclude that the activity of tonically firing VGAT+ dPAG neurons sets a threshold for escape initiation and controls the execution of the flight action.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vanessa Stempel
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Dominic A Evans
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oriol Pavón Arocas
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Stephen C Lenzi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Elena Kutsarova
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Troy W Margrie
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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Okada M, Tran TTT. Effect of chronic administration of ostruthin on depression-like behavior in chronically stressed mice. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:622-628. [PMID: 38832088 PMCID: PMC11144753 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.05.009] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that a single dose of a TREK-1 channel activator, ostruthin, exhibited antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in acute behavioral test models in mice. To assess the potential clinical application, it is essential to evaluate the effects of long-term administration of ostruthin in a chronically stressed mouse model, which is considered to be similar to the clinical condition of major depression in humans. Here, we tested the effects of a single and a 7-day administration of ostruthin on mice that were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). A single administration of ostruthin showed antidepressive effects in the tail suspension and forced swim tests of CUMS-treated mice. Unexpectedly, the 7-day administration exhibited only insignificant antidepressive and anxiolytic effects. The 7-day regimen did not affect food intake or body-weight gain, suggesting the absence of apparent cytotoxicity. The mice receiving the 7-day administration had significantly lower blood concentrations of ostruthin compared to those receiving a single dose, suggesting an upregulation of drug-metabolizing activities. These findings suggest that there is a need for stable TREK-1 channel activators that are not affected by drug metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayoshi Okada
- Department of Medical LifeScience, College of Life Science, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, Kurashiki, Okayama 712-8505, Japan
| | - Thi Thu Thuy Tran
- Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Viet Nam
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3
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Grammer J, Valles R, Bowles A, Zelikowsky M. SAUSI: a novel assay for measuring social anxiety and motivation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.13.594023. [PMID: 38798428 PMCID: PMC11118329 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.13.594023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Social anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders, though the underlying neurobiology is poorly understood. Progress in understanding the etiology of social anxiety has been hindered by the lack of comprehensive tools to assess social anxiety in model systems. Here, we created a new behavioral task - Selective Access to Unrestricted Social Interaction (SAUSI), which combines elements of social motivation, hesitancy, decision-making, and free interaction to enable the wholistic assessment of social anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Using this novel assay, we found that social isolation-induced social anxiety-like behaviors in female mice are largely driven by increases in social fear, social hesitancy, and altered ultrasonic vocalizations. Deep learning analyses were able to computationally identify a unique behavioral footprint underlying the state produced by social isolation, demonstrating the compatibility of modern computational approaches with SAUSI. Finally, we compared the results of SAUSI to traditionally social assays including the 3-chamber sociability assay and the resident intruder task. This revealed that behavioral changes induced by isolation were highly context dependent, and that while fragments of social anxiety measured in SAUSI were replicable across other tasks, a wholistic assessment was not obtainable from these alternative assays. Our findings debut a novel task for the behavioral toolbox - one which overcomes limitations of previous assays, allowing for both social choice as well as free interaction, and offers a new approach for assessing social anxiety in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Grammer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, United States
| | - Rene Valles
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, United States
| | - Alexis Bowles
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Utah, United States
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Zhang Y, Wang J, Pang R, Zhang Y, Deng Q, Liu X, Zhou Y. A method for studying escape behavior to terrestrial threats in rodents. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 405:110099. [PMID: 38417713 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Escape is one of the most essential behaviors for an animal's survival because it could be a matter of life and death. Much of our current understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying escape is derived from the looming paradigm, which mimics a diving aerial predator. Yet, the idea of the looming paradigm does not account for all types of threats like lions hunting antelopes or cats stalking mice. Escape responses to such terrestrial threats may require different strategies and neural mechanisms. NEW METHODS Here, we developed a real-time interactive platform to study escape behavior to terrestrial threats in mice. A closed-loop controlled robot was magnetically pulled to mimic a terrestrial threat that chases a mouse. By using strong magnets and high-precision servo motors, the robot is capable of moving precisely with a high spatial-temporal resolution. Different algorithms can be used to achieve single approach or persistent approach. RESULTS Animal experiments showed that mice exhibited consistent escape behavior when exposed to an approaching robotic predator. When presented with a persistently approaching predator, the mice were able to rapidly adapt their behavior, as evidenced by a decrease in startle responses and changes in movement patterns. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS In comparison to existing methods for studying escape behavior, such as the looming paradigm, this approach is more suitable for investigating animal behavior in response to sustained threats. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we have developed a flexible platform to study escape behavior to terrestrial threats in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueting Zhang
- Advanced Institute for Brain and Intelligence, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jincheng Wang
- Advanced Institute for Brain and Intelligence, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Ruiqi Pang
- Advanced Institute for Brain and Intelligence, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yanjie Zhang
- Department of Military Common and Force Management, Guard Training Base, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Qiyue Deng
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
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Barbano MF, Zhang S, Chen E, Espinoza O, Mohammad U, Alvarez-Bagnarol Y, Liu B, Hahn S, Morales M. Lateral hypothalamic glutamatergic inputs to VTA glutamatergic neurons mediate prioritization of innate defensive behavior over feeding. Nat Commun 2024; 15:403. [PMID: 38195566 PMCID: PMC10776608 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44633-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is involved in feeding behavior and defense responses by interacting with different brain structures, including the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). Emerging evidence indicates that LH-glutamatergic neurons infrequently synapse on VTA-dopamine neurons but preferentially establish multiple synapses on VTA-glutamatergic neurons. Here, we demonstrated that LH-glutamatergic inputs to VTA promoted active avoidance, long-term aversion, and escape attempts. By testing feeding in the presence of a predator, we observed that ongoing feeding was decreased, and that this predator-induced decrease in feeding was abolished by photoinhibition of the LH-glutamatergic inputs to VTA. By VTA specific neuronal ablation, we established that predator-induced decreases in feeding were mediated by VTA-glutamatergic neurons but not by dopamine or GABA neurons. Thus, we provided evidence for an unanticipated neuronal circuitry between LH-glutamatergic inputs to VTA-glutamatergic neurons that plays a role in prioritizing escape, and in the switch from feeding to escape in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Flavia Barbano
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- Confocal and Electron Microscopy Core, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Emma Chen
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Orlando Espinoza
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Uzma Mohammad
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yocasta Alvarez-Bagnarol
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Bing Liu
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Suyun Hahn
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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6
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Ryherd GL, Bunce AL, Edwards HA, Baumgartner NE, Lucas EK. Sex differences in avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in mice: Interactions between estrous cycle and genetic background. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105439. [PMID: 37813043 PMCID: PMC10810684 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide, exhibit high heritability, and affect twice as many women as men. To evaluate potential interactions between genetic background and cycling ovarian hormones on sex differences in susceptibility to negative valence behaviors relevant to anxiety disorders, we assayed avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in gonadally-intact adult male and female mice across four common inbred mouse strains: C57Bl/6J, 129S1/SVlmJ, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ. Independent of sex, C57Bl/6J mice exhibited low avoidance but high threat memory, 129S1/SvlmJ mice high avoidance and high threat memory, DBA/2J mice low avoidance and low threat memory, and BALB/cJ mice high avoidance but low threat memory. Within-strain comparisons revealed reduced avoidance behavior in the high hormone phase of the estrous cycle (proestrus) compared to all other estrous phases in all strains except DBA/2J, which did not exhibit cycle-dependent behavioral fluctuations. Robust and opposing sex differences in threat conditioning and extinction training were found in the C57Bl/6J and 129S1/SvlmJ lines, whereas no sex differences were observed in the DBA/2J or BALB/cJ lines. C57Bl/6J males exhibited enhanced acute threat memory, whereas 129S1/SvlmJ females exhibited enhanced sustained threat memory, compared to their sex-matched littermates. These effects were not mediated by estrous cycle stage or sex differences in active versus passive defensive behavioral responses. Our data demonstrate that core features of behavioral endophenotypes relevant to anxiety disorders, such as avoidance and threat memory, are genetically driven yet dissociable and can be influenced further by cycling ovarian hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garret L Ryherd
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Averie L Bunce
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Haley A Edwards
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Nina E Baumgartner
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Lucas
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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7
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Khalil V, Faress I, Mermet-Joret N, Kerwin P, Yonehara K, Nabavi S. Subcortico-amygdala pathway processes innate and learned threats. eLife 2023; 12:e85459. [PMID: 37526552 PMCID: PMC10449383 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility and timely reactions to salient stimuli are essential for survival. The subcortical thalamic-basolateral amygdala (BLA) pathway serves as a shortcut for salient stimuli ensuring rapid processing. Here, we show that BLA neuronal and thalamic axonal activity in mice mirror the defensive behavior evoked by an innate visual threat as well as an auditory learned threat. Importantly, perturbing this pathway compromises defensive responses to both forms of threats, in that animals fail to switch from exploratory to defensive behavior. Despite the shared pathway between the two forms of threat processing, we observed noticeable differences. Blocking β-adrenergic receptors impairs the defensive response to the innate but not the learned threats. This reduced defensive response, surprisingly, is reflected in the suppression of the activity exclusively in the BLA as the thalamic input response remains intact. Our side-by-side examination highlights the similarities and differences between innate and learned threat-processing, thus providing new fundamental insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Noëmie Mermet-Joret
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Peter Kerwin
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Multiscale Sensory Structure Laboratory, National Institute of GeneticsMishimaJapan
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)MishimaJapan
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
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Baier F, Reinhard K, Tong V, Murmann J, Farrow K, Hoekstra HE. The neural basis of defensive behaviour evolution in Peromyscus mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.04.547734. [PMID: 37461474 PMCID: PMC10350006 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.04.547734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Evading imminent predator threat is critical for survival. Effective defensive strategies can vary, even between closely related species. However, the neural basis of such species-specific behaviours is still poorly understood. Here we find that two sister species of deer mice (genus Peromyscus) show different responses to the same looming stimulus: P. maniculatus, which occupy densely vegetated habitats, predominantly dart to escape, while the open field specialist, P. polionotus, pause their movement. This difference arises from species-specific escape thresholds, is largely context-independent, and can be triggered by both visual and auditory threat stimuli. Using immunohistochemistry and electrophysiological recordings, we find that although visual threat activates the superior colliculus in both species, the role of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) in driving behaviour differs. While dPAG activity scales with running speed and involves both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in P. maniculatus, the dPAG is largely silent in P. polionotus, even when darting is triggered. Moreover, optogenetic activation of excitatory dPAG neurons reliably elicits darting behaviour in P. maniculatus but not P. polionotus. Together, we trace the evolution of species-specific escape thresholds to a central circuit node, downstream of peripheral sensory neurons, localizing an ecologically relevant behavioural difference to a specific region of the complex mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Baier
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Present address: Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Katja Reinhard
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Present address: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy
| | - Victoria Tong
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julie Murmann
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Present address: Institute of Science & Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hopi E. Hoekstra
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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He ZX, Xi K, Liu KJ, Yue MH, Wang Y, Yin YY, Liu L, He XX, Yu HL, Xing ZK, Zhu XJ. A Nucleus Accumbens Tac1 Neural Circuit Regulates Avoidance Responses to Aversive Stimuli. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054346. [PMID: 36901777 PMCID: PMC10001899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits that control aversion are essential for motivational regulation and survival in animals. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays an important role in predicting aversive events and translating motivations into actions. However, the NAc circuits that mediate aversive behaviors remain elusive. Here, we report that tachykinin precursor 1 (Tac1) neurons in the NAc medial shell regulate avoidance responses to aversive stimuli. We show that NAcTac1 neurons project to the lateral hypothalamic area (LH) and that the NAcTac1→LH pathway contributes to avoidance responses. Moreover, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) sends excitatory inputs to the NAc, and this circuit is involved in the regulation of avoidance responses to aversive stimuli. Overall, our study reveals a discrete NAc Tac1 circuit that senses aversive stimuli and drives avoidance behaviors.
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10
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Ito W, Palmer AJ, Morozov A. Social Synchronization of Conditioned Fear in Mice Requires Ventral Hippocampus Input to the Amygdala. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:322-330. [PMID: 36244803 PMCID: PMC10069289 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social organisms synchronize behaviors as an evolutionary-conserved means of thriving. Synchronization under threat, in particular, benefits survival and occurs across species, including humans, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown because of the scarcity of relevant animal models. Here, we developed a rodent paradigm in which mice synchronized a classically conditioned fear response and identified an underlying neuronal circuit. METHODS Male and female mice were trained individually using auditory fear conditioning and then tested 24 hours later as dyads while allowing unrestricted social interaction during exposure to the conditioned stimulus under visible or infrared illumination to eliminate visual cues. The synchronization of the immobility or freezing bouts was quantified by calculating the effect size Cohen's d for the difference between the actual freezing time overlap and the overlap by chance. The inactivation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, or ventral hippocampus was achieved by local infusions of muscimol. The chemogenetic disconnection of the hippocampus-amygdala pathway was performed by expressing hM4D(Gi) in the ventral hippocampal neurons and infusing clozapine N-oxide in the amygdala. RESULTS Mice synchronized cued but not contextual fear. It was higher in males than in females and attenuated in the absence of visible light. Inactivation of the ventral but not dorsal hippocampus or dorsomedial prefrontal cortex abolished fear synchronization. Finally, the disconnection of the hippocampus-amygdala pathway diminished fear synchronization. CONCLUSIONS Mice synchronize expression of conditioned fear relying on the ventral hippocampus-amygdala pathway, suggesting that the hippocampus transmits social information to the amygdala to synchronize threat response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Ito
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia.
| | - Alexander J Palmer
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Alexei Morozov
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia; Carilion Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia.
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11
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Campagner D, Vale R, Tan YL, Iordanidou P, Pavón Arocas O, Claudi F, Stempel AV, Keshavarzi S, Petersen RS, Margrie TW, Branco T. A cortico-collicular circuit for orienting to shelter during escape. Nature 2023; 613:111-119. [PMID: 36544025 PMCID: PMC7614651 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05553-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
When faced with predatory threats, escape towards shelter is an adaptive action that offers long-term protection against the attacker. Animals rely on knowledge of safe locations in the environment to instinctively execute rapid shelter-directed escape actions1,2. Although previous work has identified neural mechanisms of escape initiation3,4, it is not known how the escape circuit incorporates spatial information to execute rapid flights along the most efficient route to shelter. Here we show that the mouse retrosplenial cortex (RSP) and superior colliculus (SC) form a circuit that encodes the shelter-direction vector and is specifically required for accurately orienting to shelter during escape. Shelter direction is encoded in RSP and SC neurons in egocentric coordinates and SC shelter-direction tuning depends on RSP activity. Inactivation of the RSP-SC pathway disrupts the orientation to shelter and causes escapes away from the optimal shelter-directed route, but does not lead to generic deficits in orientation or spatial navigation. We find that the RSP and SC are monosynaptically connected and form a feedforward lateral inhibition microcircuit that strongly drives the inhibitory collicular network because of higher RSP input convergence and synaptic integration efficiency in inhibitory SC neurons. This results in broad shelter-direction tuning in inhibitory SC neurons and sharply tuned excitatory SC neurons. These findings are recapitulated by a biologically constrained spiking network model in which RSP input to the local SC recurrent ring architecture generates a circular shelter-direction map. We propose that this RSP-SC circuit might be specialized for generating collicular representations of memorized spatial goals that are readily accessible to the motor system during escape, or more broadly, during navigation when the goal must be reached as fast as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Campagner
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
- UCL Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, London, UK
| | - Ruben Vale
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yu Lin Tan
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | | | - Oriol Pavón Arocas
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - A Vanessa Stempel
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | | | | | - Troy W Margrie
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK.
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12
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Hyperacusis: Loudness Intolerance, Fear, Annoyance and Pain. Hear Res 2022; 426:108648. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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13
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Liu D, Li S, Ren L, Liu X, Li X, Wang Z. Different coding characteristics between flight and freezing in dorsal periaqueductal gray of mice during exposure to innate threats. Animal Model Exp Med 2022; 5:491-501. [PMID: 36225094 PMCID: PMC9773308 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flight and freezing are two vital defensive behaviors that mice display to avoid natural enemies. When they are exposed to innate threats, visual cues are processed and transmitted by the visual system into the emotional nuclei and finally transmitted to the periaqueductal gray (PAG) to induce defensive behaviors. However, how the dorsal PAG (dPAG) encodes the two defensive behaviors is unclear. METHODS Multi-array electrodes were implanted in the dPAG nuclei of C57BL/6 mice. Two kinds of visual stimuli (looming and sweeping) were used to induce defensive behaviors in mice. Neural signals under different defense behaviors were recorded, and the encoding characteristics of the two behaviors were extracted and analyzed from spike firing and frequency oscillations. Finally, synchronization of neural activity during the defense process was analyzed. RESULTS The neural activity between flight and freezing behaviors showed different firing patterns, and the differences in the inter-spike interval distribution were mainly reflected in the 2-10 ms period. The frequency band activities under both defensive behaviors were concentrated in the theta band; the active frequency of flight was ~8 to 10 Hz, whereas that of freezing behavior was ~6 to 8 Hz. The network connection density under both defense behaviors was significantly higher than the period before and after defensive behavior occurred, indicating that there was a high synchronization of neural activity during the defense process. CONCLUSIONS The dPAG nuclei of mice have different coding features between flight and freezing behaviors; during strong looming stimulation, fast neuro-instinctive decision making is required while encountering weak sweeping stimulation, and computable planning late behavior is predicted in the early stage. The frequency band activities under both defensive behaviors were concentrated in the theta band. There was a high synchronization of neural activity during the defense process, which may be a key factor triggering different defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denghui Liu
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Shouhao Li
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Liqing Ren
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Xinyu Liu
- School of Intelligent ManufacturingHuanghuai UniversityZhumadianChina
| | - Xiaoyuan Li
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
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14
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Viral vector-mediated expressions of venom peptides as novel gene therapy for anxiety and depression. Med Hypotheses 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2022.110910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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15
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Steiger A, Farfan J, Fisher N, Heller HC, Fernandez FX, Ruby NF. Reversible Suppression of Fear Memory Recall by Transient Circadian Arrhythmia. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:900620. [PMID: 35694186 PMCID: PMC9184752 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.900620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that a temporary period of circadian arrhythmia would transiently impair recall of an aversive memory in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Unlike mice or rats, circadian arrhythmia is easily induced in this species by a one-time manipulation of their ambient lighting [i.e., the disruptive phase shift (DPS) protocol]. Hamsters were conditioned to associate footshocks with a shock chamber (context) and with a predictive auditory tone (cue), and then exposed to the DPS protocol. Following DPS, animals either became arrhythmic (ARR), reentrained to the light-dark cycle (ENT), or became arrhythmic for < 14 days before their circadian locomotor rhythms spontaneously recovered and reentrained (ARR-ENT). Tests for contextual memory showed that freezing was decreased 9–10 days post-DPS when both ARR and ARR-ENT groups were arrhythmic. Once ARR-ENT animals reentrained (day 41), however, freezing was elevated back to Pre-DPS levels and did not differ from those observed in ENT hamsters. ENT animals maintained high levels of freezing at both time points, whereas, freezing remained low in ARR hamsters. In contrast to contextual responses, cued responses were unaffected by circadian arrhythmia; all three groups exhibited elevated levels of freezing in response to the tones. The differential impact of circadian arrhythmia on contextual versus cued associative memory suggests that arrhythmia preferentially impacts memory processes that depend on the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athreya Steiger
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Julia Farfan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Nathan Fisher
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - H. Craig Heller
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Fabian-Xosé Fernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona College of Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Norman F. Ruby
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Norman F. Ruby,
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16
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Claudi F, Campagner D, Branco T. Innate heuristics and fast learning support escape route selection in mice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2980-2987.e5. [PMID: 35617953 PMCID: PMC9616796 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
When faced with imminent danger, animals must rapidly take defensive actions to reach safety. Mice can react to threatening stimuli in ∼250 milliseconds1 and, in simple environments, use spatial memory to quickly escape to shelter.2,3 Natural habitats, however, often offer multiple routes to safety that animals must identify and choose from.4 This is challenging because although rodents can learn to navigate complex mazes,5,6 learning the value of different routes through trial and error during escape could be deadly. Here, we investigated how mice learn to choose between different escape routes. Using environments with paths to shelter of varying length and geometry, we find that mice prefer options that minimize path distance and angle relative to the shelter. This strategy is already present during the first threat encounter and after only ∼10 minutes of exploration in a novel environment, indicating that route selection does not require experience of escaping. Instead, an innate heuristic assigns survival value to each path after rapidly learning the spatial environment. This route selection process is flexible and allows quick adaptation to arenas with dynamic geometries. Computational modeling shows that model-based reinforcement learning agents replicate the observed behavior in environments where the shelter location is rewarding during exploration. These results show that mice combine fast spatial learning with innate heuristics to choose escape routes with the highest survival value. The results further suggest that integrating prior knowledge acquired through evolution with knowledge learned from experience supports adaptation to changing environments and minimizes the need for trial and error when the errors are costly. Mice learn to escape via the fastest route after ∼10 minutes in a new environment Escape routes are learned during exploration and do not require threat exposure Mice prefer escape routes that minimize path distance and angle to shelter Fast route learning can be replicated by model-based reinforcement learning agents
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Dario Campagner
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK; Gatsby Unit, UCL, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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17
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du Plessis KC, Basu S, Rumbell TH, Lucas EK. Sex-Specific Neural Networks of Cued Threat Conditioning: A Pilot Study. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:832484. [PMID: 35656357 PMCID: PMC9152023 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.832484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cued threat conditioning is the most common preclinical model for emotional memory, which is dysregulated in anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Though women are twice as likely as men to develop these disorders, current knowledge of threat conditioning networks was established by studies that excluded female subjects. For unbiased investigation of sex differences in these networks, we quantified the neural activity marker c-fos across 112 brain regions in adult male and female mice after cued threat conditioning compared to naïve controls. We found that trained females engaged prelimbic cortex, lateral amygdala, cortical amygdala, dorsal peduncular cortex, and subparafasicular nucleus more than, and subparaventricular zone less than, trained males. To explore how these sex differences in regional activity impact the global network, we generated interregional cross-correlations of c-fos expression to identify regions that were co-active during conditioning and performed hub analyses to identify regional control centers within each neural network. These exploratory graph theory-derived analyses revealed sex differences in the functional coordination of the threat conditioning network as well as distinct hub regions between trained males and females. Hub identification across multiple networks constructed by sequentially pruning the least reliable connections revealed globus pallidus and ventral lateral septum as the most robust hubs for trained males and females, respectively. While low sample size and lack of non-associative controls are major limitations, these findings provide preliminary evidence of sex differences in the individual circuit components and broader global networks of threat conditioning that may confer female vulnerability to fear-based psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamryn C. du Plessis
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Sreetama Basu
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Timothy H. Rumbell
- IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth K. Lucas
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth K. Lucas,
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Stressed rats fail to exhibit avoidance reactions to innately aversive social calls. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1145-1155. [PMID: 34848856 PMCID: PMC9018727 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Disruptions in amygdalar function, a brain area involved in encoding emotionally salient information, has been implicated in stress-related affective disorders. Earlier animal studies on the behavioral consequences of stress-induced abnormalities in the amygdala focused on learned behaviors using fear conditioning paradigms. If and how stress affects unconditioned, innate fear responses to ethologically natural aversive stimuli remains unexplored. Hence, we subjected rats to aversive ultrasonic vocalization calls emitted on one end of a linear track. Unstressed control rats exhibited a robust avoidance response by spending more time away from the source of the playback calls. Unexpectedly, prior exposure to chronic immobilization stress prevented this avoidance reaction, rather than enhancing it. Further, this stress-induced impairment extended to other innately aversive stimuli, such as white noise and electric shock in an inhibitory avoidance task. However, conditioned fear responses were enhanced by the same stress. Inactivation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in control rats prevented this avoidance reaction evoked by the playback. Consistent with this, analysis of the immediate early gene cFos revealed higher activity in the BLA of control, but not stressed rats, after exposure to the playback. Further, in vivo recordings in freely behaving control rats exposed to playback showed enhanced theta activity in the BLA, which also was absent in stressed rats. These findings offer a new framework for studying stress-induced alterations in amygdala-dependent maladaptive responses to more naturally threatening and emotionally relevant social stimuli. The divergent impact of stress on defensive responses--impaired avoidance responses together with increased conditioned fear--also has important implications for models of learned helplessness and depression.
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19
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A non-canonical GABAergic pathway to the VTA promotes unconditioned freezing. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4905-4917. [PMID: 36127430 PMCID: PMC9763111 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01765-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Freezing is a conserved defensive behaviour that constitutes a major stress-coping mechanism. Decades of research have demonstrated a role of the amygdala, periaqueductal grey and hypothalamus as core actuators of the control of fear responses, including freezing. However, the role that other modulatory sites provide to this hardwired scaffold is not known. Here, we show that freezing elicited by exposure to electrical foot shocks activates laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) GABAergic neurons projecting to the VTA, without altering the excitability of cholinergic and glutamatergic LDTg neurons. Selective chemogenetic silencing of this inhibitory projection, but not other LDTg neuronal subtypes, dampens freezing responses but does not prevent the formation of conditioned fear memories. Conversely, optogenetic-activation of LDTg GABA terminals within the VTA drives freezing responses and elicits bradycardia, a common hallmark of freezing. Notably, this aversive information is subsequently conveyed from the VTA to the amygdala via a discrete GABAergic pathway. Hence, we unveiled a circuit mechanism linking LDTg-VTA-amygdala regions, which holds potential translational relevance for pathological freezing states such as post-traumatic stress disorders, panic attacks and social phobias.
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20
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Jing W, Zhang T, Liu J, Huang X, Yu Q, Yu H, Zhang Q, Li H, Deng M, Zhu LQ, Du H, Lu Y. A circuit of COCH neurons encodes social-stress-induced anxiety via MTF1 activation of Cacna1h. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110177. [PMID: 34965426 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a temporal lobe structure critical for cognition, such as learning, memory, and attention, as well as emotional responses. Hippocampal dysfunction can lead to persistent anxiety and/or depression. However, how millions of neurons in the hippocampus are molecularly and structurally organized to engage their divergent functions remains unknown. Here, we genetically target a subset of neurons expressing the coagulation factor c homolog (COCH) gene. COCH-expressing neurons or COCH neurons are topographically segregated in the distal region of the ventral CA3 hippocampus and express Mtf1 and Cacna1h. MTF1 activation of Cacna1h transcription in COCH neurons encodes the ability of COCH neurons to burst action potentials and cause social-stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors by synapsing directly with a subset of GABAergic inhibitory neurons in the lateral septum. Together, this study provides a molecular and circuitry-based framework for understanding how COCH neurons in the hippocampus are assembled to engage social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jing
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Tongmei Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
| | - Jiaying Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xian Huang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Quntao Yu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hongyan Yu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Qingping Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Manfei Deng
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Huiyun Du
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Youming Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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21
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Kamimura Y, Kuwagaki E, Hamano S, Kobayashi M, Yamada Y, Takahata Y, Yoshimoto W, Morimoto H, Yasukawa T, Uozumi Y, Nagasawa K. Reproducible induction of depressive-like behavior in C57BL/6J mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress with a modified sensory contact protocol. Life Sci 2021; 282:119821. [PMID: 34271059 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
AIMS C57BL/6J mice are well-known to exhibit resilience to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) for induction of depressive-like behavior. Establishment of protocols for reproducible induction of depressive-like behavior in C57BL/6J mice would be useful to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms using target gene-knock-in and -out mice whose background is generally C57BL/6J. Here, we developed a modified CSDS protocol for reproducible induction of depressive-like behavior in C57BL/6J mice, and compared the profile of their gut microbiota with that with the standard CSDS protocol. MAIN METHODS To prevent acclimation of defeated C57BL/6J mice to aggressive ICR mice, the sensory contact following a daily 10 min-defeat episode was performed by housing an individual defeated mouse in a cage set next to a cage for the aggressor one. KEY FINDINGS The number of attacks by ICR mice on C57BL/6J ones was significantly increased with the modified CSDS protocol, and the susceptible mice exhibited greater hippocampal inflammation and an increased immobility time in the forced swim test, compared in the case of the standard CSDS protocol, and the reproducibility was confirmed in another set of experiments. Both the standard and modified CSDS protocols changed the diversity and relative composition of gut microbiota in the susceptible mice, but there was no apparent difference in them between the standard and modified CSDS-susceptible mice. SIGNIFICANCE We established a CSDS protocol for reproducible induction of depressive-like behavior in C57BL/6J mice, and the features of the gut microbiota were similar in the susceptible mice with and without the depressive-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Kamimura
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Erina Kuwagaki
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Sakika Hamano
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Mami Kobayashi
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Yukie Yamada
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Yuka Takahata
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Waka Yoshimoto
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hirotoshi Morimoto
- Technical Development Division, Ako Kasei, Co., Ltd., 329 Sakoshi, Ako 678-0193, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yasukawa
- Technical Development Division, Ako Kasei, Co., Ltd., 329 Sakoshi, Ako 678-0193, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Uozumi
- Technical Development Division, Ako Kasei, Co., Ltd., 329 Sakoshi, Ako 678-0193, Japan
| | - Kazuki Nagasawa
- Department of Environmental Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan.
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22
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Totty MS, Warren N, Huddleston I, Ramanathan KR, Ressler RL, Oleksiak CR, Maren S. Behavioral and brain mechanisms mediating conditioned flight behavior in rats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8215. [PMID: 33859260 PMCID: PMC8050069 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87559-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental contexts can inform animals of potential threats, though it is currently unknown how context biases the selection of defensive behavior. Here we investigated context-dependent flight responses with a Pavlovian serial-compound stimulus (SCS) paradigm that evokes freeze-to-flight transitions. Similar to previous work in mice, we show that male and female rats display context-dependent flight-like behavior in the SCS paradigm. Flight behavior was dependent on contextual fear insofar as it was only evoked in a shock-associated context and was reduced in the conditioning context after context extinction. Flight behavior was only expressed to white noise regardless of temporal order within the compound. Nonetheless, rats that received unpaired SCS trials did not show flight-like behavior to the SCS, indicating it is associative. Finally, we show that pharmacological inactivation of two brain regions critical to the expression of contextual fear, the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), attenuates both contextual fear and flight responses. All of these effects were similar in male and female rats. This work demonstrates that contextual fear can summate with cued and innate fear to drive a high fear state and transition from post-encounter to circa-strike defensive modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Totty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Naomi Warren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Isabella Huddleston
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Karthik R Ramanathan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Reed L Ressler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Cecily R Oleksiak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, 301 Old Main Dr., College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA.
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23
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Okada M, Kozaki I, Honda H. Antidepressive effect of an inward rectifier K+ channel blocker peptide, tertiapin-RQ. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233815. [PMID: 33186384 PMCID: PMC7665585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Renal outer medullary K+ channel, ROMK (Kir1.1, kcnj1) is expressed in the kidney and brain, but its role in the central nervous system remains unknown. Recent studies suggested an involvement of the ROMK channel in mental diseases. Tertiapin (TPN) is a European honey bee venom peptide and is reported to selectively block the ROMK channel. Here, we have chemically synthesized a series of mutated TPN peptides, including TPN-I8R and -M13Q (TPN-RQ), reported previously, and examined their blocking activity on the ROMK channel. Among 71 peptides tested, TPN-RQ was found to block the ROMK channel most effectively. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed the essential roles of two disulfide bonds and the circular structure for the blockade activity. To examine the central role, we injected TPN-RQ intracerebroventricularly and examined the effects on depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. TPN-RQ showed an antidepressive effect in tail-suspension and forced swim tests. The injection of TPN-RQ also enhanced the anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze and light/dark box tests and impaired spontaneous motor activities in balance beam and wheel running tests. Administration of TPM-RQ suppressed the anti-c-Fos immunoreactivity in the lateral septum, without affecting immunoreactivity in antidepressant-related nuclei, e.g. the dorsal raphe nucleus and locus coeruleus. TPN-RQ may exert its antidepressive effects through a different mechanism from current drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayoshi Okada
- Department of Medical Life Science, College of Life Science, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Ikkou Kozaki
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate Schoosl of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Honda
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate Schoosl of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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24
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Kennedy A, Kunwar PS, Li LY, Stagkourakis S, Wagenaar DA, Anderson DJ. Stimulus-specific hypothalamic encoding of a persistent defensive state. Nature 2020; 586:730-734. [PMID: 32939094 PMCID: PMC7606611 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2728-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Persistent neural activity has been described in cortical, hippocampal,
and motor networks as mediating working memory of transiently encountered
stimuli1,2. Internal emotion states such as fear
also exhibit persistence following exposure to an inciting stimulus3, but whether slow neural
dynamics are involved is not well-studied. SF1+/Nr5a1+
neurons in the dorsomedial and central subdivisions of the ventromedial
hypothalamus (VMHdm/c) are necessary for defensive responses to
predators4–7. Optogenetic activation of
VMHdmSF1 neurons elicits defensive behaviours that outlast
stimulation5,8, suggesting the induction of a persistent
internal state of fear or anxiety. Here we show that in response to naturalistic
threatening stimuli, VMHdmSF1 neurons exhibit persistent activity
lasting many tens of seconds. This persistent activity was correlated with, and
required for, persistent defensive behavior in an open-field assay, and was
dependent on neurotransmitter release from VMHdmSF1 neurons.
Stimulation and calcium imaging experiments in acute slices revealed local
excitatory connectivity between VMHdmSF1 neurons. Microendoscopic
calcium imaging of VMHdmSF1 neurons revealed that persistent activity
at the population level reflects heterogeneous dynamics among individual cells.
Unexpectedly, distinct but overlapping VMHdmSF1 subpopulations were
persistently activated by different modalities of threatening stimuli.
Computational modeling suggests that neither recurrent excitation nor
slow-acting neuromodulators alone can account for persistent activity that
maintains stimulus identity. Our results identify stimulus-specific slow neural
dynamics in the hypothalamus, on a time scale orders of magnitude longer than
that supporting working memory in the cortex9,10, as a
contributing mechanism underlying a persistent emotion state. (238 words)
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Kennedy
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Prabhat S Kunwar
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Kallyope, Inc., New York, NY, USA
| | - Ling-Yun Li
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Stefanos Stagkourakis
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Daniel A Wagenaar
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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25
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Ishikawa Y, Kitaoka S, Kawano Y, Ishii S, Suzuki T, Wakahashi K, Kato T, Katayama Y, Furuyashiki T. Repeated social defeat stress induces neutrophil mobilization in mice: maintenance after cessation of stress and strain-dependent difference in response. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 178:827-844. [PMID: 32678951 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inflammation has been associated with stress-related mental disturbances. Rodent studies have reported that blood-borne cytokines are crucial for stress-induced changes in emotional behaviours. However, the roles and regulation of leukocytes in chronic stress remain unclear. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Adult male C57BL/6N mice were subjected to repeated social defeat stress (R-SDS) with two protocols which differed in stress durations, stress cycles, and housing conditions, followed by the social interaction test. The numbers of leukocyte subsets in the bone marrow, spleen, and blood were determined by flow cytometry shortly after or several days after R-SDS. These leukocyte changes were studied in two strains of mice with different stress susceptibility, C57BL/6N and BALB/c mice. KEY RESULTS R-SDS with both protocols similarly induced social avoidance in C57BL/6N mice. In the bone marrow, neutrophils and monocytes were increased, and T cells, B cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells were decreased with both protocols. In the blood, neutrophils and monocytes were increased with both protocols, whereas T cells, B cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells were decreased with one of these. Neutrophils and monocytes were also increased in the spleen. Changes in the bone marrow and increased levels of circulating neutrophils were maintained for 6 days after R-SDS. BALB/c mice showed greater social avoidance and increase in circulating neutrophils than C57BL/6N mice. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS In two strains of mice, chronic stress induced neutrophil mobilization and its maintenance. These effects were strain-related and may contribute to the pathology of mental illness. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Neurochemistry in Japan. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.4/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Ishikawa
- Division of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.,Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Shiho Kitaoka
- Division of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.,Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Kawano
- Hematology, Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shinichi Ishii
- Hematology, Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomohide Suzuki
- Hematology, Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kanako Wakahashi
- Hematology, Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Taro Kato
- Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshio Katayama
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo, Japan.,Hematology, Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Furuyashiki
- Division of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.,Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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26
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Moshitzky G, Shoham S, Madrer N, Husain AM, Greenberg DS, Yirmiya R, Ben-Shaul Y, Soreq H. Cholinergic Stress Signals Accompany MicroRNA-Associated Stereotypic Behavior and Glutamatergic Neuromodulation in the Prefrontal Cortex. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E848. [PMID: 32503154 PMCID: PMC7355890 DOI: 10.3390/biom10060848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereotypic behavior (SB) is common in emotional stress-involved psychiatric disorders and is often attributed to glutamatergic impairments, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Given the neuro-modulatory role of acetylcholine, we sought behavioral-transcriptomic links in SB using TgR transgenic mice with impaired cholinergic transmission due to over-expression of the stress-inducible soluble 'readthrough' acetylcholinesterase-R splice variant AChE-R. TgR mice showed impaired organization of behavior, performance errors in a serial maze test, escape-like locomotion, intensified reaction to pilocarpine and reduced rearing in unfamiliar situations. Small-RNA sequencing revealed 36 differentially expressed (DE) microRNAs in TgR mice hippocampi, 8 of which target more than 5 cholinergic transcripts. Moreover, compared to FVB/N mice, TgR prefrontal cortices displayed individually variable changes in over 400 DE mRNA transcripts, primarily acetylcholine and glutamate-related. Furthermore, TgR brains presented c-fos over-expression in motor behavior-regulating brain regions and immune-labeled AChE-R excess in the basal ganglia, limbic brain nuclei and the brain stem, indicating a link with the observed behavioral phenotypes. Our findings demonstrate association of stress-induced SB to previously unknown microRNA-mediated perturbations of cholinergic/glutamatergic networks and underscore new therapeutic strategies for correcting stereotypic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilli Moshitzky
- The Institute of Life Sciences and The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (G.M.); (N.M.); (A.M.H.); (D.S.G.)
| | - Shai Shoham
- Herzog Medical Center, Givat Shaul, P.O. Box 3900, Jerusalem 9103702, Israel;
| | - Nimrod Madrer
- The Institute of Life Sciences and The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (G.M.); (N.M.); (A.M.H.); (D.S.G.)
| | - Amir Mouhammed Husain
- The Institute of Life Sciences and The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (G.M.); (N.M.); (A.M.H.); (D.S.G.)
| | - David S. Greenberg
- The Institute of Life Sciences and The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (G.M.); (N.M.); (A.M.H.); (D.S.G.)
| | - Raz Yirmiya
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel;
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, The Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel;
| | - Hermona Soreq
- The Institute of Life Sciences and The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (G.M.); (N.M.); (A.M.H.); (D.S.G.)
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27
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Barbano MF, Wang HL, Zhang S, Miranda-Barrientos J, Estrin DJ, Figueroa-González A, Liu B, Barker DJ, Morales M. VTA Glutamatergic Neurons Mediate Innate Defensive Behaviors. Neuron 2020; 107:368-382.e8. [PMID: 32442399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has dopamine, GABA, and glutamate neurons, which have been implicated in reward and aversion. Here, we determined whether VTA-glutamate or -GABA neurons play a role in innate defensive behavior. By VTA cell-type-specific genetic ablation, we found that ablation of glutamate, but not GABA, neurons abolishes escape behavior in response to threatening stimuli. We found that escape behavior is also decreased by chemogenetic inhibition of VTA-glutamate neurons and detected increases in activity in VTA-glutamate neurons in response to the threatening stimuli. By ultrastructural and electrophysiological analysis, we established that VTA-glutamate neurons receive a major monosynaptic glutamatergic input from the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and found that photoinhibition of this input decreases escape responses to threatening stimuli. These findings indicate that VTA-glutamate neurons are activated by and required for innate defensive responses and that information on threatening stimuli to VTA-glutamate neurons is relayed by LHA-glutamate neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Flavia Barbano
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- Confocal and Electron Microscopy Core, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Jorge Miranda-Barrientos
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - David J Estrin
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Almaris Figueroa-González
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Bing Liu
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - David J Barker
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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28
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Hersman S, Allen D, Hashimoto M, Brito SI, Anthony TE. Stimulus salience determines defensive behaviors elicited by aversively conditioned serial compound auditory stimuli. eLife 2020; 9:53803. [PMID: 32216876 PMCID: PMC7190350 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the imminence of threatening events using environmental cues enables proactive engagement of appropriate avoidance responses. The neural processes employed to anticipate event occurrence depend upon which cue properties are used to formulate predictions. In serial compound stimulus (SCS) conditioning in mice, repeated presentations of sequential tone (CS1) and white noise (CS2) auditory stimuli immediately prior to an aversive event (US) produces freezing and flight responses to CS1 and CS2, respectively (Fadok et al., 2017). Recent work reported that these responses reflect learned temporal relationships of CS1 and CS2 to the US (Dong et al., 2019). However, we find that frequency and sound pressure levels, not temporal proximity to the US, are the key factors underlying SCS-driven conditioned responses. Moreover, white noise elicits greater physiological and behavioral responses than tones even prior to conditioning. Thus, stimulus salience is the primary determinant of behavior in the SCS paradigm, and represents a potential confound in experiments utilizing multiple sensory stimuli. If you notice the skies above you becoming darker, your first thought might be to seek shelter. Experience will have taught you that darkening skies are often a sign of an approaching storm. Learning to recognise changes that occur prior to an unpleasant event can help us avoid danger. But this is not the only strategy people can use to predict when something bad is about to happen. Another option is to use the intensity, or salience, of sensory information. Soldiers fighting on the front line, for example, might rely on the loudness of enemy voices or vehicles to judge how close an advancing enemy is. This information will help them decide when to retreat. Different brain processes are active when individuals use each of these two strategies to predict when an upcoming event will occur. One approach to study these processes is to use a technique called “SCS conditioning”. This involves exposing mice to two sounds, followed by a mild electric shock administered to the feet. The first sound is a pure tone; the second is a burst of white noise. After repeated trials, mice begin to show distinct responses to the two sounds. They freeze in response to the tone but run away upon hearing the white noise. These responses parallel behaviors seen in the wild. When mice detect a distant predator, they freeze to avoid detection. But if the predator comes too close for the mice to avoid being spotted, they instead try to flee. Some have argued that in the SCS task, mice learn that the white noise predicts an imminent shock. The mice therefore flee as soon as they hear it. By contrast, they learn that the tone predicts a delayed shock and therefore choose to freeze instead. However, by tweaking the SCS procedure, Hersman et al. now show that even if the white noise occurs before the tone, it is still more likely than the tone to trigger an escape response. In fact, mice are more reactive to white noise than tones even if the sounds are never paired with shocks. This suggests that mice find white noise naturally more noticeable than tones. Moreover, Hersman et al. show that tones can also trigger escape responses if they are sufficiently intense. Together these results suggest that mice use the intensity of the stimuli – rather than the length of time between each stimulus and the shock – to decide whether to freeze or flee. People with anxiety disorders often show exaggerated responses to things that do not pose a genuine threat. At present the pathways in the brain that are responsible for these excessive reactions are unclear. The results of Hersman et al. will aid research into the brain circuits that detect, assess and respond to threats. Understanding these circuits could in the future lead to better treatments for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hersman
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - David Allen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Mariko Hashimoto
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Salvador Ignacio Brito
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Todd E Anthony
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
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29
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Stress peptides sensitize fear circuitry to promote passive coping. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:428-441. [PMID: 29904149 PMCID: PMC6169733 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0089-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Survival relies on optimizing behavioral responses through experience. Animals often react to acute stress by switching to passive behavioral responses when coping with environmental challenge. Despite recent advances in dissecting mammalian circuitry for Pavlovian fear, the neuronal basis underlying this form of non-Pavlovian anxiety-related behavioral plasticity remains poorly understood. Here, we report that aversive experience recruits the posterior paraventricular thalamus (PVT) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and sensitizes a Pavlovian fear circuit to promote passive responding. Site-specific lesions and optogenetic manipulations reveal that PVT-to-central amygdala (CE) projections activate anxiogenic neuronal populations in the CE that release local CRH in response to acute stress. CRH potentiates basolateral (BLA)-CE connectivity and antagonizes inhibitory gating of CE output, a mechanism linked to Pavlovian fear, to facilitate the switch from active to passive behavior. Thus, PVT-amygdala fear circuitry uses inhibitory gating in the CE as a shared dynamic motif, but relies on different cellular mechanisms (postsynaptic long-term potentiation vs. presynaptic facilitation), to multiplex active/passive response bias in Pavlovian and non-Pavlovian behavioral plasticity. These results establish a framework promoting stress-induced passive responding, which might contribute to passive emotional coping seen in human fear- and anxiety-related disorders.
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30
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Wang H, Chen J, Xu X, Sun WJ, Chen X, Zhao F, Luo MH, Liu C, Guo Y, Xie W, Zhong H, Bai T, Tian Y, Mao Y, Ye C, Tao W, Li J, Farzinpour Z, Li J, Zhou JN, Wang K, He J, Chen L, Zhang Z. Direct auditory cortical input to the lateral periaqueductal gray controls sound-driven defensive behavior. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000417. [PMID: 31469831 PMCID: PMC6742420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Threatening sounds can elicit a series of defensive behavioral reactions in animals for survival, but the underlying neural substrates are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate a previously unexplored neural pathway in mice that projects directly from the auditory cortex (ACx) to the lateral periaqueductal gray (lPAG) and controls noise-evoked defensive behaviors. Electrophysiological recordings showed that the lPAG could be excited by a loud noise that induced an escape-like behavior. Trans-synaptic viral tracing showed that a great number of glutamatergic neurons, rather than GABAergic neurons, in the lPAG were directly innervated by those in layer V of the ACx. Activation of this pathway by optogenetic manipulations produced a behavior in mice that mimicked the noise-evoked escape, whereas inhibition of the pathway reduced this behavior. Therefore, our newly identified descending pathway is a novel neural substrate for noise-evoked escape and is involved in controlling the threat-related behavior. Threatening sounds can evoke a defensive behavior in animals to avoid potential harm. This study identifies a novel neural pathway in mice that projects directly from the auditory cortex to the lateral periaqueductal gray and controls defense-like behaviors evoked by a loud noise, supporting the notion that such behaviors are controlled by multiple neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaotong Xu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wen-Jian Sun
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fei Zhao
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Min-Hua Luo
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunhua Liu
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiping Guo
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Xie
- Department of Psychology, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Hui Zhong
- Department of Psychology, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Tongjian Bai
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yu Mao
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chonghuan Ye
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wenjuan Tao
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jie Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zahra Farzinpour
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Juan Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jiang-Ning Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jufang He
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- * E-mail: (ZZ); (LC)
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- * E-mail: (ZZ); (LC)
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31
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Neves LT, Neves PFR, Paz LV, Zancan M, Milanesi BB, Lazzari GZ, da Silva RB, de Oliveira MMBP, Venturin GT, Greggio S, da Costa JC, Rasia-Filho AA, Mestriner RG, Xavier LL. Increases in dendritic spine density in BLA without metabolic changes in a rodent model of PTSD. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:2857-2870. [PMID: 31440907 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01943-4] [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: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Imaging studies have shown abnormal amygdala function in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, alterations in synaptic plasticity have been associated with psychiatric disorders and previous reports have indicated alterations in the amygdala morphology, especially in basolateral (BLA) neurons, are associated with stress-related disorders. Since, some individuals exposed to a traumatic event develop PTSD, the goals of this study were to evaluate the early effects of PTSD on amygdala glucose metabolism and analyze the possible BLA dendritic spine plasticity in animals with different levels of behavioral response. We employed the inescapable footshock protocol as an experimental model of PTSD and the animals were classified according to the duration of their freezing behavior into distinct groups: "extreme behavioral response" (EBR) and "minimal behavioral response". We evaluated the amygdala glucose metabolism at baseline (before the stress protocol) and immediately after the situational reminder using the microPET and the radiopharmaceutical 18F-FDG. The BLA dendritic spines were analyzed according to their number, density, shape and morphometric parameters. Our results show the EBR animals exhibited longer freezing behavior and increased proximal dendritic spines density in the BLA neurons. Neither the amygdaloid glucose metabolism, the types of dendritic spines nor their morphometric parameters showed statistically significant differences. The extreme behavior response induced by this PTSD protocol produces an early increase in BLA spine density, which is unassociated with either additional changes in the shape of spines or metabolic changes in the whole amygdala of Wistar rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tartari Neves
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Paula Fernanda Ribas Neves
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Lisiê Valéria Paz
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Mariana Zancan
- Departamento de Ciências Básicas/Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Bruna Bueno Milanesi
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriele Zenato Lazzari
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Barboza da Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Marina Mena Barreto Peres de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Gianina Teribele Venturin
- Instituto do Cérebro do Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Samuel Greggio
- Instituto do Cérebro do Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jaderson Costa da Costa
- Instituto do Cérebro do Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Departamento de Ciências Básicas/Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Régis Gemerasca Mestriner
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Léder Leal Xavier
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga 6681, Prédio 12C, Sala 104, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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Bedoya-Pérez MA, Smith KL, Kevin RC, Luo JL, Crowther MS, McGregor IS. Parameters That Affect Fear Responses in Rodents and How to Use Them for Management. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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33
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Zelikowsky M, Hui M, Karigo T, Choe A, Yang B, Blanco MR, Beadle K, Gradinaru V, Deverman BE, Anderson DJ. The Neuropeptide Tac2 Controls a Distributed Brain State Induced by Chronic Social Isolation Stress. Cell 2019; 173:1265-1279.e19. [PMID: 29775595 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social isolation causes severe psychological effects in humans, but their neural bases remain poorly understood. 2 weeks (but not 24 hr) of social isolation stress (SIS) caused multiple behavioral changes in mice and induced brain-wide upregulation of the neuropeptide tachykinin 2 (Tac2)/neurokinin B (NkB). Systemic administration of an Nk3R antagonist prevented virtually all of the behavioral effects of chronic SIS. Conversely, enhancing NkB expression and release phenocopied SIS in group-housed mice, promoting aggression and converting stimulus-locked defensive behaviors to persistent responses. Multiplexed analysis of Tac2/NkB function in multiple brain areas revealed dissociable, region-specific requirements for both the peptide and its receptor in different SIS-induced behavioral changes. Thus, Tac2 coordinates a pleiotropic brain state caused by SIS via a distributed mode of action. These data reveal the profound effects of prolonged social isolation on brain chemistry and function and suggest potential new therapeutic applications for Nk3R antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriel Zelikowsky
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - May Hui
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Tomomi Karigo
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrea Choe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Bin Yang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mario R Blanco
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Keith Beadle
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Benjamin E Deverman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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34
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Règue M, Poilbout C, Martin V, Franc B, Lanfumey L, Mongeau R. Increased 5-HT2C receptor editing predisposes to PTSD-like behaviors and alters BDNF and cytokines signaling. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:100. [PMID: 30792491 PMCID: PMC6384909 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0431-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma- and stress-related disorder with dysregulated fear responses and neurobiological impairments, notably at neurotrophic and inflammation levels. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this disease is crucial to develop PTSD models that meet behavioral and neurobiological validity criteria as well as innovative therapeutic approaches. Serotonin 2C receptors (5-HT2CR) are known for their important role in anxiety, and mice having only the fully edited VGV isoform of 5-HT2CR, which thereby overexpressed brain 5-HT2CR, are of special interest to study PTSD predisposition. Innate and conditioned fear-related behaviors were assessed in VGV and wild-type mice. mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and calcineurin) were measured by qRT-PCR. The effect of acute and chronic paroxetine was evaluated on both behavior and gene expression. VGV mice displayed greater fear expression, extensive fear extinction deficits, and fear generalization. Paroxetine restored fear extinction in VGV mice when administered acutely and decreased innate fear and fear generalization when administered chronically. In parallel, Bdnf, tPA, and pro-inflammatory cytokines mRNA levels were dysregulated in VGV mice. Bdnf and tPA mRNA expression was decreased in the hippocampus but increased in the amygdala, and chronic paroxetine normalized Bdnf mRNA levels both in the amygdala and the hippocampus. Amygdalar calcineurin mRNA level in VGV mice was also normalized by chronic paroxetine. VGV-transgenic mice displayed behavioral and neurobiological features that could be accessory to the investigation of PTSD and its treatment. Furthermore, these data point out to the role of 5-HT2CR in neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Animals
- Anxiety/genetics
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/genetics
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Fear
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Male
- Maze Learning
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Paroxetine/pharmacology
- RNA Editing
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C/genetics
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/drug therapy
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Règue
- Inserm UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, Université Paris Descartes, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Poilbout
- Inserm UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, Université Paris Descartes, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Martin
- Inserm UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, Université Paris Descartes, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Bernard Franc
- Inserm UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, Université Paris Descartes, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Lanfumey
- Inserm UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, Université Paris Descartes, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Raymond Mongeau
- EA 4475, Pharmacologie de la circulation cérébrale, Université Paris Descartes, 75006, Paris, France.
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35
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Fluoxetine and stress inversely modify lateral septal nucleus-mpfc neuronal responsivity. Behav Brain Res 2018; 351:114-120. [PMID: 29885850 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Several clinically effective antidepressants increase the neuronal firing rate in the lateral septal nucleus (LSN), a forebrain structure that is anatomically related to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regions. mPFC function is related to depression and the regulation of fear. However, unknown is whether antidepressant treatment or chronic stress modifies the responsivity of neuronal LSN-mPFC connections. We performed single-unit extracellular recordings in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) regions of the mPFC during stimulation of the LSN in anesthetized male Wistar rats that received fluoxetine (1 mg/kg, 21 days) or were subjected to chronic mild stress (5 weeks). The results were compared with a control group (saline treatment, devoid of behavioral manipulations). Stimulation of the LSN produced an initial excitatory paucisynaptic response, followed by an afterdischarge, characterized by an increase in the neuronal firing rate. Opposite changes were induced by fluoxetine treatment and chronic stress exposure. Peristimulus histograms and unit-activity ratio analyses indicated that LSN-mPFC responsivity differed between fluoxetine treatment and chronic stress exposure. Fluoxetine reduced neuronal responsivity in the LSN-PL and LSN-IL, and stress increased neuronal responsivity in the same regions. In both cases, the changes were more pronounced in the IL region. The lower responsivity of LSN-PL and LSN-IL connections that was produced by fluoxetine may reflect a higher threshold for fear, and lower responsivity of this connection may be related to states of fear. The LSN and mPFC comprise a portion of a limbic-cortical circuit where neuronal responses depend on specific conditions.
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36
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Joseph A, Thuy TTT, Thanh LT, Okada M. Antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of ostruthin, a TREK-1 channel activator. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201092. [PMID: 30110354 PMCID: PMC6093650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We screened a library of botanical compounds purified from plants of Vietnam for modulators of the activity of a two-pore domain K+ channel, TREK-1, and we identified a hydroxycoumarin-related compound, ostruthin, as an activator of this channel. Ostruthin increased whole-cell TREK-1 channel currents in 293T cells at a low concentration (EC50 = 5.3 μM), and also activity of the TREK-2 channel (EC50 = 3.7 mM). In contrast, ostruthin inhibited other K+ channels, e.g. human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG1), inward-rectifier (Kir2.1), voltage-gated (Kv1.4), and two-pore domain (TASK-1) at higher concentrations, without affecting voltage-gated potassium channel (KCNQ1 and 3). We tested the effect of this compound on mouse anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and found anxiolytic activity in the open-field, elevated plus maze, and light/dark box tests. Of note, ostruthin also showed antidepressive effects in the forced swim and tail suspension tests, although previous studies reported that inhibition of TREK-1 channels resulted in an antidepressive effect. The anxiolytic and antidepressive effect was diminished by co-administration of a TREK-1 blocker, amlodipine, indicating the involvement of TREK-1 channels. Administration of ostruthin suppressed the stress-induced increase in anti-c-Fos immunoreactivity in the lateral septum, without affecting immunoreactivity in other mood disorder-related nuclei, e.g. the amygdala, paraventricular nuclei, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Ostruthin may exert its anxiolytic and antidepressive effects through a different mechanism from current drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ancy Joseph
- Department of Physiology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tran Thi Thu Thuy
- Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Le Tat Thanh
- Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Masayoshi Okada
- Department of Physiology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Medical Life Science, College of Life Science, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Driessen TM, Zhao C, Saenz M, Stevenson SA, Owada Y, Gammie SC. Down-regulation of fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7) is a hallmark of the postpartum brain. J Chem Neuroanat 2018; 92:92-101. [PMID: 30076883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7) is a versatile protein that is linked to glial differentiation and proliferation, neurogenesis, and multiple mental health disorders. Recent microarray studies identified a robust decrease in Fabp7 expression in key brain regions of the postpartum rodents. Given its diverse functions, Fabp7 could play a critical role in sculpting the maternal brain and promoting the maternal phenotype. The present study aimed at investigating the expression profile of Fabp7 across the postpartum CNS. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis showed that Fabp7 mRNA was consistently down-regulated across the postpartum brain. Of the 9 maternal care-related regions tested, seven exhibited significant decreases in Fabp7 in postpartum (relative to virgin) females, including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NA), lateral septum (LS), bed nucleus of stria terminalis dorsal (BnSTd), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), lateral hypothalamus (LH), and basolateral and central amygdala (BLA/CeA). For both ventral tegmental area (VTA) and medial preoptic area (MPOA) levels of Fabp7 were lower in mothers, but levels of changes did not reach significance. Confocal microscopy revealed that protein expression of Fabp7 in the LS paralleled mRNA findings. Specifically, the caudal LS exhibited a significant reduction in Fabp7 immunoreactivity, while decreases in medial LS were just above significance. Double fluorescent immunolabeling confirmed the astrocytic phenotype of Fabp7-expressing cells. Collectively, this research demonstrates a broad and marked reduction in Fabp7 expression in the postpartum brain, suggesting that down-regulation of Fabp7 may serve as a hallmark of the postpartum brain and contribute to the maternal phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terri M Driessen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Marissa Saenz
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Yuji Owada
- Department of Organ Anatomy, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Stephen C Gammie
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Evans DA, Stempel AV, Vale R, Ruehle S, Lefler Y, Branco T. A synaptic threshold mechanism for computing escape decisions. Nature 2018; 558:590-594. [PMID: 29925954 PMCID: PMC6235113 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0244-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Escaping from imminent danger is an instinctive behaviour that is fundamental for survival, and requires the classification of sensory stimuli as harmless or threatening. The absence of threat enables animals to forage for essential resources, but as the level of threat and potential for harm increases, they have to decide whether or not to seek safety 1 . Despite previous work on instinctive defensive behaviours in rodents2-11, little is known about how the brain computes the threat level for initiating escape. Here we show that the probability and vigour of escape in mice scale with the saliency of innate threats, and are well described by a model that computes the distance between the threat level and an escape threshold. Calcium imaging and optogenetics in the midbrain of freely behaving mice show that the activity of excitatory neurons in the deep layers of the medial superior colliculus (mSC) represents the saliency of the threat stimulus and is predictive of escape, whereas glutamatergic neurons of the dorsal periaqueductal grey (dPAG) encode exclusively the choice to escape and control escape vigour. We demonstrate a feed-forward monosynaptic excitatory connection from mSC to dPAG neurons, which is weak and unreliable-yet required for escape behaviour-and provides a synaptic threshold for dPAG activation and the initiation of escape. This threshold can be overcome by high mSC network activity because of short-term synaptic facilitation and recurrent excitation within the mSC, which amplifies and sustains synaptic drive to the dPAG. Therefore, dPAG glutamatergic neurons compute escape decisions and escape vigour using a synaptic mechanism to threshold threat information received from the mSC, and provide a biophysical model of how the brain performs a critical behavioural computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic A Evans
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - A Vanessa Stempel
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Ruben Vale
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Sabine Ruehle
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Yaara Lefler
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, London, UK.
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Okuda K, Takao K, Watanabe A, Miyakawa T, Mizuguchi M, Tanaka T. Comprehensive behavioral analysis of the Cdkl5 knockout mice revealed significant enhancement in anxiety- and fear-related behaviors and impairment in both acquisition and long-term retention of spatial reference memory. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196587. [PMID: 29702698 PMCID: PMC5922552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene cause severe neurodevelopmental disorders. Recently we have generated Cdkl5 KO mice by targeting exon 2 on the C57BL/6N background, and demonstrated postsynaptic overaccumulation of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the hippocampus. In the current study, we subjected the Cdkl5 KO mice to a battery of comprehensive behavioral tests, aiming to reveal the effects of loss of CDKL5 in a whole perspective of motor, emotional, social, and cognition/memory functions, and to identify its undetermined roles. The neurological screen, rotarod, hot plate, prepulse inhibition, light/dark transition, open field, elevated plus maze, Porsolt forced swim, tail suspension, one-chamber and three-chamber social interaction, 24-h home cage monitoring, contextual and cued fear conditioning, Barnes maze, and T-maze tests were applied on adult Cdkl5 -/Y and +/Y mice. Cdkl5 -/Y mice showed a mild alteration in the gait. Analyses of emotional behaviors revealed significantly enhanced anxiety-like behaviors of Cdkl5 -/Y mice. Depressive-like behaviors and social interaction of Cdkl5 -/Y mice were uniquely altered. The contextual and cued fear conditioning of Cdkl5 -/Y mice were comparable to control mice; however, Cdkl5 -/Y mice showed a significantly increased freezing time and a significantly decreased distance traveled during the pretone period in the altered context. Both acquisition and long-term retention of spatial reference memory were significantly impaired. The morphometric analysis of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons revealed impaired dendritic arborization and immature spine development in Cdkl5 -/Y mice. These results indicate that CDKL5 plays significant roles in regulating emotional behaviors especially on anxiety- and fear-related responses, and in both acquisition and long-term retention of spatial reference memory, which suggests that focus and special attention should be paid to the specific mechanisms of these deficits in the CDKL5 deficiency disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Okuda
- Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keizo Takao
- Section of Behavior Patterns, Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Aya Watanabe
- Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Section of Behavior Patterns, Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masashi Mizuguchi
- Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Tanaka
- Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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40
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Li L, Feng X, Zhou Z, Zhang H, Shi Q, Lei Z, Shen P, Yang Q, Zhao B, Chen S, Li L, Zhang Y, Wen P, Lu Z, Li X, Xu F, Wang L. Stress Accelerates Defensive Responses to Looming in Mice and Involves a Locus Coeruleus-Superior Colliculus Projection. Curr Biol 2018; 28:859-871.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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41
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Lecca S, Meye FJ, Trusel M, Tchenio A, Harris J, Schwarz MK, Burdakov D, Georges F, Mameli M. Aversive stimuli drive hypothalamus-to-habenula excitation to promote escape behavior. eLife 2017; 6:30697. [PMID: 28871962 PMCID: PMC5606847 DOI: 10.7554/elife.30697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A sudden aversive event produces escape behaviors, an innate response essential for survival in virtually all-animal species. Nuclei including the lateral habenula (LHb), the lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the midbrain are not only reciprocally connected, but also respond to negative events contributing to goal-directed behaviors. However, whether aversion encoding requires these neural circuits to ultimately prompt escape behaviors remains unclear. We observe that aversive stimuli, including foot-shocks, excite LHb neurons and promote escape behaviors in mice. The foot-shock-driven excitation within the LHb requires glutamatergic signaling from the LH, but not from the midbrain. This hypothalamic excitatory projection predominates over LHb neurons monosynaptically innervating aversion-encoding midbrain GABA cells. Finally, the selective chemogenetic silencing of the LH-to-LHb pathway impairs aversion-driven escape behaviors. These findings unveil a habenular neurocircuitry devoted to encode external threats and the consequent escape; a process that, if disrupted, may compromise the animal’s survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Lecca
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Inserm UMR-S 839, Paris, France.,Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frank Julius Meye
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Inserm UMR-S 839, Paris, France.,Department Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Massimo Trusel
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Inserm UMR-S 839, Paris, France.,Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anna Tchenio
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Inserm UMR-S 839, Paris, France.,Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julia Harris
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Karl Schwarz
- Clinic for Epilepsy Life and Brain Center, University Clinic of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Francois Georges
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute, Bordeaux, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neurodegeneratives Diseases Institute, Bordeaux, France
| | - Manuel Mameli
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, Inserm UMR-S 839, Paris, France.,Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Bidirectional Control of Anxiety-Related Behaviors in Mice: Role of Inputs Arising from the Ventral Hippocampus to the Lateral Septum and Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1715-1728. [PMID: 28294135 PMCID: PMC5518909 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety is an adaptive response to potentially threatening situations. Exaggerated and uncontrolled anxiety responses become maladaptive and lead to anxiety disorders. Anxiety is shaped by a network of forebrain structures, including the hippocampus, septum, and prefrontal cortex. In particular, neural inputs arising from the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) to the lateral septum (LS) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are thought to serve as principal components of the anxiety circuit. However, the role of vHPC-to-LS and vHPC-to-mPFC signals in anxiety is unclear, as no study has directly compared their behavioral contribution at circuit level. We targeted LS-projecting vHPC cells and mPFC-projecting vHPC cells by injecting the retrogradely propagating canine adenovirus encoding Cre recombinase into the LS or mPFC, and injecting a Cre-responsive AAV (AAV8-hSyn-FLEX-hM3D or hM4D) into the vHPC. Consequences of manipulating these neurons were examined in well-established tests of anxiety. Chemogenetic manipulation of LS-projecting vHPC cells led to bidirectional changes in anxiety: activation of LS-projecting vHPC cells decreased anxiety whereas inhibition of these cells produced opposite anxiety-promoting effects. The observed anxiety-reducing function of LS-projecting cells was in contrast with the function of mPFC-projecting cells, which promoted anxiety. In addition, double retrograde tracing demonstrated that LS- and mPFC-projecting cells represent two largely anatomically distinct cell groups. Altogether, our findings suggest that the vHPC houses discrete populations of cells that either promote or suppress anxiety through differences in their projection targets. Disruption of the intricate balance in the activity of these two neuron populations may drive inappropriate behavioral responses seen in anxiety disorders.
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Vale R, Evans DA, Branco T. Rapid Spatial Learning Controls Instinctive Defensive Behavior in Mice. Curr Biol 2017; 27:1342-1349. [PMID: 28416117 PMCID: PMC5434248 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Instinctive defensive behaviors are essential for animal survival. Across the animal kingdom, there are sensory stimuli that innately represent threat and trigger stereotyped behaviors such as escape or freezing [1-4]. While innate behaviors are considered to be hard-wired stimulus-responses [5], they act within dynamic environments, and factors such as the properties of the threat [6-9] and its perceived intensity [1, 10, 11], access to food sources [12-14], and expectations from past experience [15, 16] have been shown to influence defensive behaviors, suggesting that their expression can be modulated. However, despite recent work [2, 4, 17-21], little is known about how flexible mouse innate defensive behaviors are and how quickly they can be modified by experience. To address this, we have investigated the dependence of escape behavior on learned knowledge about the spatial environment and how the behavior is updated when the environment changes acutely. Using behavioral assays with innately threatening visual and auditory stimuli, we show that the primary goal of escape in mice is to reach a previously memorized shelter location. Memory of the escape target can be formed in a single shelter visit lasting less than 20 s, and changes in the spatial environment lead to a rapid update of the defensive action, including changing the defensive strategy from escape to freezing. Our results show that although there are innate links between specific sensory features and defensive behavior, instinctive defensive actions are surprisingly flexible and can be rapidly updated by experience to adapt to changing spatial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Vale
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Dominic A Evans
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, Howland Street, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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Khalil R, Fendt M. Increased anxiety but normal fear and safety learning in orexin-deficient mice. Behav Brain Res 2017; 320:210-218. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Silva BA, Gross CT, Gräff J. The neural circuits of innate fear: detection, integration, action, and memorization. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:544-55. [PMID: 27634145 PMCID: PMC5026211 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042812.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
How fear is represented in the brain has generated a lot of research attention, not only because fear increases the chances for survival when appropriately expressed but also because it can lead to anxiety and stress-related disorders when inadequately processed. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the understanding of the neural circuits processing innate fear in rodents. We propose that these circuits are contained within three main functional units in the brain: a detection unit, responsible for gathering sensory information signaling the presence of a threat; an integration unit, responsible for incorporating the various sensory information and recruiting downstream effectors; and an output unit, in charge of initiating appropriate bodily and behavioral responses to the threatful stimulus. In parallel, the experience of innate fear also instructs a learning process leading to the memorization of the fearful event. Interestingly, while the detection, integration, and output units processing acute fear responses to different threats tend to be harbored in distinct brain circuits, memory encoding of these threats seems to rely on a shared learning system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca A Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cornelius T Gross
- Mouse Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Johannes Gräff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Füzesi T, Daviu N, Wamsteeker Cusulin JI, Bonin RP, Bains JS. Hypothalamic CRH neurons orchestrate complex behaviours after stress. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11937. [PMID: 27306314 PMCID: PMC4912635 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
All organisms possess innate behavioural and physiological programmes that ensure survival. In order to have maximum adaptive benefit, these programmes must be sufficiently flexible to account for changes in the environment. Here we show that hypothalamic CRH neurons orchestrate an environmentally flexible repertoire of behaviours that emerge after acute stress in mice. Optical silencing of CRH neurons disrupts the organization of individual behaviours after acute stress. These behavioural patterns shift according to the environment after stress, but this environmental sensitivity is blunted by activation of PVN CRH neurons. These findings provide evidence that PVN CRH cells are part of a previously unexplored circuit that matches precise behavioural patterns to environmental context following stress. Overactivity in this network in the absence of stress may contribute to environmental ambivalence, resulting in context-inappropriate behavioural strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Füzesi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Nuria Daviu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Jaclyn I. Wamsteeker Cusulin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Robert P. Bonin
- Leslie Dan School of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3M2
| | - Jaideep S. Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
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Renier N, Adams EL, Kirst C, Wu Z, Azevedo R, Kohl J, Autry AE, Kadiri L, Umadevi Venkataraju K, Zhou Y, Wang VX, Tang CY, Olsen O, Dulac C, Osten P, Tessier-Lavigne M. Mapping of Brain Activity by Automated Volume Analysis of Immediate Early Genes. Cell 2016; 165:1789-1802. [PMID: 27238021 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 507] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how neural information is processed in physiological and pathological states would benefit from precise detection, localization, and quantification of the activity of all neurons across the entire brain, which has not, to date, been achieved in the mammalian brain. We introduce a pipeline for high-speed acquisition of brain activity at cellular resolution through profiling immediate early gene expression using immunostaining and light-sheet fluorescence imaging, followed by automated mapping and analysis of activity by an open-source software program we term ClearMap. We validate the pipeline first by analysis of brain regions activated in response to haloperidol. Next, we report new cortical regions downstream of whisker-evoked sensory processing during active exploration. Last, we combine activity mapping with axon tracing to uncover new brain regions differentially activated during parenting behavior. This pipeline is widely applicable to different experimental paradigms, including animal species for which transgenic activity reporters are not readily available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Renier
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eliza L Adams
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christoph Kirst
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zhuhao Wu
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ricardo Azevedo
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Johannes Kohl
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Anita E Autry
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Kannan Umadevi Venkataraju
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Certerra, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Yu Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Victoria X Wang
- Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Cheuk Y Tang
- Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Olav Olsen
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Catherine Dulac
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Marc Tessier-Lavigne
- Laboratory of Brain Development and Repair, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Müller I, Çalışkan G, Stork O. The GAD65 knock out mouse - a model for GABAergic processes in fear- and stress-induced psychopathology. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:37-45. [PMID: 25470336 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) synthetic enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 is critically involved in the activity-dependent regulation of GABAergic inhibition in the central nervous system. It is also required for the maturation of the GABAergic system during adolescence, a phase that is critical for the development of several neuropsychiatric diseases. Mice bearing a null mutation of the GAD65 gene develop hyperexcitability of the amygdala and hippocampus, and a phenotype of increased anxiety and pathological fear memory reminiscent of posttraumatic stress disorder. Although genetic association of GAD65 in human has not yet been reported, these findings are in line with observations of reduced GABAergic function in these brain regions of anxiety disorder patients. The particular value of GAD65(-/-) mice thus lies in modeling the effects of reduced GABAergic function in the mature nervous system. The expression of GAD65 and a second GAD isozyme, GAD67, are differentially regulated in response to stress in limbic brain areas suggesting that by controlling GABAergic inhibition these enzymes determine the vulnerability for the development of pathological anxiety and other stress-induced phenotypes. In fact, we could recently show that GAD65 haplodeficiency, which results in delayed postnatal increase of GABA levels, provides resilience to juvenile-stress-induced anxiety to GAD65(+/-) mice thus foiling the increased fear and anxiety in homozygous GAD65(-/-) mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Müller
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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50
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Bains JS, Wamsteeker Cusulin JI, Inoue W. Stress-related synaptic plasticity in the hypothalamus. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:377-88. [PMID: 26087679 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Stress necessitates an immediate engagement of multiple neural and endocrine systems. However, exposure to a single stressor causes adaptive changes that modify responses to subsequent stressors. Recent studies examining synapses onto neuroendocrine cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus demonstrate that stressful experiences leave indelible marks that alter the ability of these synapses to undergo plasticity. These adaptations include a unique form of metaplasticity at glutamatergic synapses, bidirectional changes in endocannabinoid signalling and bidirectional changes in strength at GABAergic synapses that rely on distinct temporal windows following stress. This rich repertoire of plasticity is likely to represent an important building block for dynamic, experience-dependent modulation of neuroendocrine stress adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jaclyn I Wamsteeker Cusulin
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Wataru Inoue
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
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