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Sun W, Liu Z, Jiang X, Chen MB, Dong H, Liu J, Südhof TC, Quake SR. Spatial transcriptomics reveal neuron-astrocyte synergy in long-term memory. Nature 2024; 627:374-381. [PMID: 38326616 PMCID: PMC10937396 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-07011-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Memory encodes past experiences, thereby enabling future plans. The basolateral amygdala is a centre of salience networks that underlie emotional experiences and thus has a key role in long-term fear memory formation1. Here we used spatial and single-cell transcriptomics to illuminate the cellular and molecular architecture of the role of the basolateral amygdala in long-term memory. We identified transcriptional signatures in subpopulations of neurons and astrocytes that were memory-specific and persisted for weeks. These transcriptional signatures implicate neuropeptide and BDNF signalling, MAPK and CREB activation, ubiquitination pathways, and synaptic connectivity as key components of long-term memory. Notably, upon long-term memory formation, a neuronal subpopulation defined by increased Penk and decreased Tac expression constituted the most prominent component of the memory engram of the basolateral amygdala. These transcriptional changes were observed both with single-cell RNA sequencing and with single-molecule spatial transcriptomics in intact slices, thereby providing a rich spatial map of a memory engram. The spatial data enabled us to determine that this neuronal subpopulation interacts with adjacent astrocytes, and functional experiments show that neurons require interactions with astrocytes to encode long-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfei Sun
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhihui Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xian Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michelle B Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hua Dong
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Liu
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA, USA.
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2
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Hammack RJ, Fischer VE, Andrade MA, Toney GM. Anterior basolateral amygdala neurons comprise a remote fear memory engram. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1167825. [PMID: 37180762 PMCID: PMC10174320 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1167825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Threatening environmental cues often generate enduring fear memories, but how these are formed and stored remains actively investigated. Recall of a recent fear memory is thought to reflect reactivation of neurons, in multiple brain regions, activated during memory formation, indicating that anatomically distributed and interconnected neuronal ensembles comprise fear memory engrams. The extent to which anatomically specific activation-reactivation engrams persist during long-term fear memory recall, however, remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized that principal neurons in the anterior basolateral amygdala (aBLA), which encode negative valence, acutely reactivate during remote fear memory recall to drive fear behavior. Methods Using adult offspring of TRAP2 and Ai14 mice, persistent tdTomato expression was used to "TRAP" aBLA neurons that underwent Fos-activation during contextual fear conditioning (electric shocks) or context only conditioning (no shocks) (n = 5/group). Three weeks later, mice were re-exposed to the same context cues for remote memory recall, then sacrificed for Fos immunohistochemistry. Results TRAPed (tdTomato +), Fos +, and reactivated (double-labeled) neuronal ensembles were larger in fear- than context-conditioned mice, with the middle sub-region and middle/caudal dorsomedial quadrants of aBLA displaying the greatest densities of all three ensemble populations. Whereas tdTomato + ensembles were dominantly glutamatergic in context and fear groups, freezing behavior during remote memory recall was not correlated with ensemble sizes in either group. Discussion We conclude that although an aBLA-inclusive fear memory engram forms and persists at a remote time point, plasticity impacting electrophysiological responses of engram neurons, not their population size, encodes fear memory and drives behavioral manifestations of long-term fear memory recall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Hammack
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Victoria E. Fischer
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Mary Ann Andrade
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Glenn M. Toney
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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3
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Li H, Namburi P, Olson JM, Borio M, Lemieux ME, Beyeler A, Calhoon GG, Hitora-Imamura N, Coley AA, Libster A, Bal A, Jin X, Wang H, Jia C, Choudhury SR, Shi X, Felix-Ortiz AC, de la Fuente V, Barth VP, King HO, Izadmehr EM, Revanna JS, Batra K, Fischer KB, Keyes LR, Padilla-Coreano N, Siciliano CA, McCullough KM, Wichmann R, Ressler KJ, Fiete IR, Zhang F, Li Y, Tye KM. Neurotensin orchestrates valence assignment in the amygdala. Nature 2022; 608:586-592. [PMID: 35859170 PMCID: PMC9583860 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04964-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to associate temporally segregated information and assign positive or negative valence to environmental cues is paramount for survival. Studies have shown that different projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) are potentiated following reward or punishment learning1-7. However, we do not yet understand how valence-specific information is routed to the BLA neurons with the appropriate downstream projections, nor do we understand how to reconcile the sub-second timescales of synaptic plasticity8-11 with the longer timescales separating the predictive cues from their outcomes. Here we demonstrate that neurotensin (NT)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) projecting to the BLA (PVT-BLA:NT) mediate valence assignment by exerting NT concentration-dependent modulation in BLA during associative learning. We found that optogenetic activation of the PVT-BLA:NT projection promotes reward learning, whereas PVT-BLA projection-specific knockout of the NT gene (Nts) augments punishment learning. Using genetically encoded calcium and NT sensors, we further revealed that both calcium dynamics within the PVT-BLA:NT projection and NT concentrations in the BLA are enhanced after reward learning and reduced after punishment learning. Finally, we showed that CRISPR-mediated knockout of the Nts gene in the PVT-BLA pathway blunts BLA neural dynamics and attenuates the preference for active behavioural strategies to reward and punishment predictive cues. In sum, we have identified NT as a neuropeptide that signals valence in the BLA, and showed that NT is a critical neuromodulator that orchestrates positive and negative valence assignment in amygdala neurons by extending valence-specific plasticity to behaviourally relevant timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Praneeth Namburi
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacob M Olson
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Matilde Borio
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mackenzie E Lemieux
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna Beyeler
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- University of Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, INSERM 1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Gwendolyn G Calhoon
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, USA
| | - Natsuko Hitora-Imamura
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Austin A Coley
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Avraham Libster
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aneesh Bal
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Society of Fellows, Harvard University, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Huan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Beijing, China
| | - Caroline Jia
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Xi Shi
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ada C Felix-Ortiz
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Verónica de la Fuente
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vanessa P Barth
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Hunter O King
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ehsan M Izadmehr
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jasmin S Revanna
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kanha Batra
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kyle B Fischer
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laurel R Keyes
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Cody A Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kenneth M McCullough
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Romy Wichmann
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ila R Fiete
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Feng Zhang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Beijing, China
| | - Kay M Tye
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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4
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Choi K, Park K, Lee S, Yi JH, Woo C, Kang SJ, Shin KS. Auditory fear conditioning facilitates neurotransmitter release at lateral amygdala to basal amygdala synapses. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 584:39-45. [PMID: 34768080 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The lateral amygdala (LA) is a main sensory input site from the cortical and thalamic regions. In turn, LA glutamatergic pyramidal neurons strongly project to the basal amygdala (BA). Although it is well known that auditory fear conditioning involves synaptic potentiation in the LA, it is not clear whether the LA-BA synaptic transmission is modified upon auditory fear conditioning. Here we found that high-frequency stimulation ex vivo resulted in long-term potentiation (LTP) with a concomitant enhancement of neurotransmitter release at LA-BA synapses. Auditory fear conditioning also led to the presynaptic facilitation at LA-BA synapses. Meanwhile, AMPA/NMDA current ratio was not changed upon fear conditioning, excluding the involvement of postsynaptic mechanism. Notably, fear conditioning occluded electrically induced ex vivo LTP in the LA-BA pathway, indicating that the conditioning and electrically induced LTP share common mechanisms. Our findings suggest that the presynaptic potentiation of LA-BA synapses may be involved in fear conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyuhyun Choi
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungjoon Park
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Soonje Lee
- Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee Hyun Yi
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Changsu Woo
- Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin Jung Kang
- Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul, 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Soon Shin
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea; Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Lin JY, Mukherjee N, Bernstein MJ, Katz DB. Perturbation of amygdala-cortical projections reduces ensemble coherence of palatability coding in gustatory cortex. eLife 2021; 10:e65766. [PMID: 34018924 PMCID: PMC8139825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Taste palatability is centrally involved in consumption decisions-we ingest foods that taste good and reject those that don't. Gustatory cortex (GC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) almost certainly work together to mediate palatability-driven behavior, but the precise nature of their interplay during taste decision-making is still unknown. To probe this issue, we discretely perturbed (with optogenetics) activity in rats' BLA→GC axons during taste deliveries. This perturbation strongly altered GC taste responses, but while the perturbation itself was tonic (2.5 s), the alterations were not-changes preferentially aligned with the onset times of previously-described taste response epochs, and reduced evidence of palatability-related activity in the 'late-epoch' of the responses without reducing the amount of taste identity information available in the 'middle epoch.' Finally, BLA→GC perturbations changed behavior-linked taste response dynamics themselves, distinctively diminishing the abruptness of ensemble transitions into the late epoch. These results suggest that BLA 'organizes' behavior-related GC taste dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-You Lin
- Department of PsychologyWalthamUnited States
- The Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Narendra Mukherjee
- The Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Max J Bernstein
- Department of PsychologyWalthamUnited States
- The Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Donald B Katz
- Department of PsychologyWalthamUnited States
- The Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
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6
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Hintiryan H, Bowman I, Johnson DL, Korobkova L, Zhu M, Khanjani N, Gou L, Gao L, Yamashita S, Bienkowski MS, Garcia L, Foster NN, Benavidez NL, Song MY, Lo D, Cotter KR, Becerra M, Aquino S, Cao C, Cabeen RP, Stanis J, Fayzullina M, Ustrell SA, Boesen T, Tugangui AJ, Zhang ZG, Peng B, Fanselow MS, Golshani P, Hahn JD, Wickersham IR, Ascoli GA, Zhang LI, Dong HW. Connectivity characterization of the mouse basolateral amygdalar complex. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2859. [PMID: 34001873 PMCID: PMC8129205 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22915-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The basolateral amygdalar complex (BLA) is implicated in behaviors ranging from fear acquisition to addiction. Optogenetic methods have enabled the association of circuit-specific functions to uniquely connected BLA cell types. Thus, a systematic and detailed connectivity profile of BLA projection neurons to inform granular, cell type-specific interrogations is warranted. Here, we apply machine-learning based computational and informatics analysis techniques to the results of circuit-tracing experiments to create a foundational, comprehensive BLA connectivity map. The analyses identify three distinct domains within the anterior BLA (BLAa) that house target-specific projection neurons with distinguishable morphological features. We identify brain-wide targets of projection neurons in the three BLAa domains, as well as in the posterior BLA, ventral BLA, posterior basomedial, and lateral amygdalar nuclei. Inputs to each nucleus also are identified via retrograde tracing. The data suggests that connectionally unique, domain-specific BLAa neurons are associated with distinct behavior networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houri Hintiryan
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Ian Bowman
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David L Johnson
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laura Korobkova
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Muye Zhu
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Neda Khanjani
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lin Gou
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lei Gao
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Seita Yamashita
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Bienkowski
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Luis Garcia
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas N Foster
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nora L Benavidez
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Monica Y Song
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Darrick Lo
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kaelan R Cotter
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marlene Becerra
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sarvia Aquino
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chunru Cao
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ryan P Cabeen
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jim Stanis
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marina Fayzullina
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sarah A Ustrell
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tyler Boesen
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amanda J Tugangui
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zheng-Gang Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Peng
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Fanselow
- Brain Research Institute, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joel D Hahn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Giorgio A Ascoli
- Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Center for Neural Circuitry & Sensory Processing Disorders, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hong-Wei Dong
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- UCLA Brain Research & Artificial Intelligence Nexus, Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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7
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Levitan D, Liu C, Yang T, Shima Y, Lin JY, Wachutka J, Marrero Y, Ali Marandi Ghoddousi R, da Veiga Beltrame E, Richter TA, Katz DB, Nelson SB. Deletion of Stk11 and Fos in mouse BLA projection neurons alters intrinsic excitability and impairs formation of long-term aversive memory. eLife 2020; 9:e61036. [PMID: 32779566 PMCID: PMC7445010 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is a form of one-trial learning dependent on basolateral amygdala projection neurons (BLApn). Its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. RNAseq from BLApn identified changes in multiple candidate learning-related transcripts including the expected immediate early gene Fos and Stk11, a master kinase of the AMP-related kinase pathway with important roles in growth, metabolism and development, but not previously implicated in learning. Deletion of Stk11 in BLApn blocked memory prior to training, but not following it and increased neuronal excitability. Conversely, BLApn had reduced excitability following CTA. BLApn knockout of a second learning-related gene, Fos, also increased excitability and impaired learning. Independently increasing BLApn excitability chemogenetically during CTA also impaired memory. STK11 and C-FOS activation were independent of one another. These data suggest key roles for Stk11 and Fos in CTA long-term memory formation, dependent at least partly through convergent action on BLApn intrinsic excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Levitan
- Departments of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Chenghao Liu
- Departments of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Tracy Yang
- Departments of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Yasuyuki Shima
- Departments of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Jian-You Lin
- Departments of Psychology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
- Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Joseph Wachutka
- Departments of Psychology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Yasmin Marrero
- Departments of Psychology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | | | | | - Troy A Richter
- Departments of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Donald B Katz
- Departments of Psychology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
- Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
| | - Sacha B Nelson
- Departments of Biology, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
- Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis UniversityWalthamUnited States
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8
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McDonald AJ, Augustine JR. Nonpyramidal neurons in the primate basolateral amygdala: A Golgi study in the baboon (Papio cynocephalus) and long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:772-786. [PMID: 31600841 PMCID: PMC8259058 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Nonpyramidal GABAergic interneurons in the basolateral nuclear complex (BNC) of the amygdala are critical for the regulation of emotion. Remarkably, there have been no Golgi studies of these neurons in nonhuman primates. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the morphology of nonpyramidal neurons (NPNs) in the BNC of the baboon and monkey using the Golgi technique. NPNs were scattered throughout all nuclei of the BNC and had aspiny or spine-sparse dendrites. NPNs were morphologically heterogeneous and could be divided into small, medium, large, and giant types based on the size of their somata. NPNs could be further divided on the basis of their somatodendritic morphology into four types: multipolar, bitufted, bipolar, and irregular. NPN axons, when stained, formed dense local arborizations that overlapped their dendritic fields to varying extents. These axons always exhibited varying numbers of varicosities representing axon terminals. Three specialized NPN subtypes were recognized because of their unique anatomical features: axo-axonic cells, neurogliaform cells, and giant cells. The axons of axo-axonic cells formed "axonal cartridges," with clustered varicosities that contacted the axon initial segments of pyramidal neurons (PNs). Neurogliaform cells had small somata and numerous short dendrites that formed a dense dendritic arborization; they also exhibited a very dense axonal arborization that overlapped the dendritic field. Giant cells had very large irregular somata and long, thick dendrites; their distal dendrites often branched extensively and had long appendages. In general, the NPNs of the baboon and monkey BNC, including the specialized subtypes, were similar to those of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - James R Augustine
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
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9
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McDonald AJ, Mascagni F. Cholecystokinin immunoreactive neurons in the basolateral amygdala of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:2694-2702. [PMID: 30980540 PMCID: PMC6721981 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Several distinct subpopulations of interneurons (INs) in the amygdalar basolateral nuclear complex (BNC) of the rat can be recognized on the basis of their expression of calcium-binding proteins and neuropeptides, including parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SOM), calretinin (CR), and cholecystokinin (CCK). In the rat BNC CCK is expressed in two separate IN subpopulations, termed large (CCKL ) and small (CCKS ). These subpopulations exhibit distinct connections indicative of discrete functional roles in the circuitry of the BNC. Although there have been several studies of PV+, SOM+, and CR+ INs in the primate BNC, there is almost no information regarding CCK+ INs in these species. Therefore, in the present study the distribution and morphology of CCK+ INs and their axon terminals in the BNC of the monkey was investigated. CCK immunoreactivity in the BNC was observed in somata and proximal dendrites of nonpyramidal neurons, as well as in axon terminals. A moderate density of CCK+ INs was found in all nuclei of the BNC. CCK+ INs in the BNC were morphologically heterogeneous, with both small and large varieties observed. All CCK+ somata gave rise to 2-4 dendrites that branched sparingly and were aspiny. CCK+ axon terminals in the BNC were found both in the neuropil and forming pericellular baskets contacting somata of pyramidal cells. In addition, many CCK+ neurons were contacted by multiple CCK+ terminals, indicative of the existence of a CCK interneuronal network. These data indicate that the morphology of CCK+ INs in the monkey is very similar to that of the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208
| | - Franco Mascagni
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208
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10
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Sorrells SF, Paredes MF, Velmeshev D, Herranz-Pérez V, Sandoval K, Mayer S, Chang EF, Insausti R, Kriegstein AR, Rubenstein JL, Manuel Garcia-Verdugo J, Huang EJ, Alvarez-Buylla A. Immature excitatory neurons develop during adolescence in the human amygdala. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2748. [PMID: 31227709 PMCID: PMC6588589 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10765-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The human amygdala grows during childhood, and its abnormal development is linked to mood disorders. The primate amygdala contains a large population of immature neurons in the paralaminar nuclei (PL), suggesting protracted development and possibly neurogenesis. Here we studied human PL development from embryonic stages to adulthood. The PL develops next to the caudal ganglionic eminence, which generates inhibitory interneurons, yet most PL neurons express excitatory markers. In children, most PL cells are immature (DCX+PSA-NCAM+), and during adolescence many transition into mature (TBR1+VGLUT2+) neurons. Immature PL neurons persist into old age, yet local progenitor proliferation sharply decreases in infants. Using single nuclei RNA sequencing, we identify the transcriptional profile of immature excitatory neurons in the human amygdala between 4-15 years. We conclude that the human PL contains excitatory neurons that remain immature for decades, a possible substrate for persistent plasticity at the interface of the hippocampus and amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn F Sorrells
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Mercedes F Paredes
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Dmitry Velmeshev
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Vicente Herranz-Pérez
- Laboratory of Comparative Neurobiology, Institute Cavanilles, University of Valencia, CIBERNED, 46980, Valencia, Spain
- Predepartamental Unit of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I, 12071, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Kadellyn Sandoval
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Simone Mayer
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Edward F Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Ricardo Insausti
- Human Neuroanatomy Laboratory, School of Medicine and CRIB, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 02006, Albacete, Spain
| | - Arnold R Kriegstein
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - John L Rubenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Rock Hall, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158-2324, USA
| | - Jose Manuel Garcia-Verdugo
- Laboratory of Comparative Neurobiology, Institute Cavanilles, University of Valencia, CIBERNED, 46980, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eric J Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Arturo Alvarez-Buylla
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
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11
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O'Neill PK, Gore F, Salzman CD. Basolateral amygdala circuitry in positive and negative valence. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 49:175-183. [PMID: 29525574 PMCID: PMC6138049 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
All organisms must solve the same fundamental problem: they must acquire rewards and avoid danger in order to survive. A key challenge for the nervous system is therefore to connect motivationally salient sensory stimuli to neural circuits that engage appropriate valence-specific behavioral responses. Anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological data have long suggested that the amygdala plays a central role in this process. Here we review experimental efforts leveraging recent technological advances to provide previously unattainable insights into the functional, anatomical, and genetic identity of neural populations within the amygdala that connect sensory stimuli to valence-specific behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia-Kelsey O'Neill
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Felicity Gore
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - C Daniel Salzman
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Sciences, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 87, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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12
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Butler RK, Oliver EM, Fadel JR, Wilson MA. Hemispheric differences in the number of parvalbumin-positive neurons in subdivisions of the rat basolateral amygdala complex. Brain Res 2017; 1678:214-219. [PMID: 29107660 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a bilateral temporal lobe brain region which plays an important role in emotional processing. Past studies on the amygdala have shown hemispheric differences in amygdalar processes and responses associated with specific pain and fear behaviors. Despite the functional differences in the amygdala, few studies have been performed to characterize whether anatomical differences exist between the left and right amygdala. Parvalbumin (PV) is a phenotypic marker for an inhibitory interneuronal population in cortical brain structures such as the basolateral amygdala complex (BLC). This study examined the number of PV-positive neurons in the left and right BLC of adult, male Long-Evans rats using unbiased stereology. Coronal sections through the rostral-caudal extent of the BLC were immunohistochemically-stained for PV and the optical fractionator method was used to obtain an unbiased estimate of the number of PV-positive neurons in subdivisions through the BLC. The lateral and basolateral amygdala divisions of the BLC were analyzed, were subdivided into the dorsolateral, ventrolateral and ventromedial and the posterior, anterior and ventral subdivisions, respectively. The results indicate that there are significantly more PV-positive neurons in the left basolateral amygdala compared to the right, with a significant difference specifically in the posterior subdivision. This difference in PV neuronal number could help explain the distinct hemispheric roles of the BLC in the behavioral processing following exposure to painful and fearful stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Butler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; WJB Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - Elisabeth M Oliver
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; WJB Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jim R Fadel
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; WJB Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Marlene A Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; WJB Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
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13
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Lee SC, Amir A, Haufler D, Pare D. Differential Recruitment of Competing Valence-Related Amygdala Networks during Anxiety. Neuron 2017; 96:81-88.e5. [PMID: 28957678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BL) is involved in fear and anxiety, but it is currently unclear how the same network supports these two states. To address this question, we trained rats on appetitive and aversive conditioning in different contexts. Distinct groups of BL neurons displayed increased activity during appetitive (CS-R) versus aversive (CS-S) conditioned stimuli (R cells and S cells, respectively), and they were typically inhibited by the other CS. When the CS-S was presented in the safe context, rats entered a long-lasting, anxiety-like state characterized by increased inter-CS freezing and impaired reward seeking. During this state, a subset of BL cells ("state cells") showed sustained shifts in baseline activity whose time course matched that of the behavioral changes. Many state cells with increased firing rates were S cells, whereas R cells only included state cells with reduced firing rates. Thus, anxiety involves persistent activity changes that are differentially expressed by subsets of valence-specific BL neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Chan Lee
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, 197 University Avenue, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Alon Amir
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, 197 University Avenue, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Darrell Haufler
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, 197 University Avenue, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Denis Pare
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, 197 University Avenue, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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14
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Lu J, Tucciarone J, Padilla-Coreano N, He M, Gordon JA, Huang ZJ. Selective inhibitory control of pyramidal neuron ensembles and cortical subnetworks by chandelier cells. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:1377-1383. [PMID: 28825718 PMCID: PMC5614838 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The neocortex comprises multiple information processing streams mediated by subsets of glutamatergic pyramidal cells (PCs) that receive diverse inputs and project to distinct targets. How GABAergic interneurons regulate the segregation and communication among intermingled PC subsets that contribute to separate brain networks remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that a subset of GABAergic chandelier cells (ChCs) in the prelimbic cortex, which innervate PCs at spike initiation site, selectively control PCs projecting to the basolateral amygdala (BLAPC) compared to those projecting to contralateral cortex (CCPC). These ChCs in turn receive preferential input from local and contralateral CCPCs as opposed to BLAPCs and BLA neurons (the prelimbic cortex-BLA network). Accordingly, optogenetic activation of ChCs rapidly suppresses BLAPCs and BLA activity in freely behaving mice. Thus, the exquisite connectivity of ChCs not only mediates directional inhibition between local PC ensembles but may also shape communication hierarchies between global networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangteng Lu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Jason Tucciarone
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, Stony Brook University, New York 11790, USA
| | - Nancy Padilla-Coreano
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Miao He
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Joshua A. Gordon
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Z. Josh Huang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
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15
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Pignataro A, Pagano R, Guarneri G, Middei S, Ammassari-Teule M. Extracellular matrix controls neuronal features that mediate the persistence of fear. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:3889-3898. [PMID: 28478549 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1440-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Degradation of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by injections of the bacterial enzyme chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) does not impair fear memory formation but accelerates its extinction and disrupts its reactivation. These observations suggest that the treatment might selectively interfere with the post-extinction features of neurons that mediate the reinstatement of fear. Here, we report that ChABC mice show regular fear memory and memory-driven c-fos activation and dendritic spine formation in the BLA. These mice then rapidly extinguish their fear response and exhibit a post-extinction concurrent reduction in c-fos activation and large dendritic spines that extends to the anterior cingulate cortex 7 days later. At this remote time point, fear renewal and fear retrieval are impaired. These findings show that a non-cellular component of the brain tissue controls post-extinction levels of neuronal activity and spine enlargement in the regions sequentially remodelled during the formation of recent and remote fear memory. By preventing BLA and aCC neurons to retain neuronal features that serve to reactivate an extinguished fear memory, ECM digestion might offer a therapeutic strategy for durable attenuation of traumatic memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabella Pignataro
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, European Centre for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143, Rome, Italy.
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), National Research Council, 00015, Rome, Italy.
| | - Roberto Pagano
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, European Centre for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Guarneri
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, European Centre for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Middei
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), National Research Council, 00015, Rome, Italy
| | - Martine Ammassari-Teule
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, European Centre for Brain Research, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), National Research Council, 00015, Rome, Italy
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16
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McCullough KM, Choi D, Guo J, Zimmerman K, Walton J, Rainnie DG, Ressler KJ. Molecular characterization of Thy1 expressing fear-inhibiting neurons within the basolateral amygdala. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13149. [PMID: 27767183 PMCID: PMC5078744 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular characterization of neuron populations, particularly those controlling threat responses, is essential for understanding the cellular basis of behaviour and identifying pharmacological agents acting selectively on fear-controlling circuitry. Here we demonstrate a comprehensive workflow for identification of pharmacologically tractable markers of behaviourally characterized cell populations. Thy1-eNpHR-, Thy1-Cre- and Thy1-eYFP-labelled neurons of the BLA consistently act as fear inhibiting or 'Fear-Off' neurons during behaviour. We use cell-type-specific optogenetics and chemogenetics (DREADDs) to modulate activity in this population during behaviour to block or enhance fear extinction. Dissociated Thy1-eYFP neurons are isolated using FACS. RNA sequencing identifies genes strongly upregulated in RNA of this population, including Ntsr2, Dkk3, Rspo2 and Wnt7a. Pharmacological manipulation of neurotensin receptor 2 confirms behavioural effects observed in optogenetic and chemogenetic experiments. These experiments identify and validate Ntsr2-expressing neurons within the BLA, as a putative 'Fear-Off' population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M. McCullough
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Division of Depression & Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02478, USA
| | - Dennis Choi
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Jidong Guo
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Kelsey Zimmerman
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Jordan Walton
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Division of Depression & Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02478, USA
| | - Donald G. Rainnie
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
- Division of Depression & Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02478, USA
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17
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Morrison DJ, Rashid AJ, Yiu AP, Yan C, Frankland PW, Josselyn SA. Parvalbumin interneurons constrain the size of the lateral amygdala engram. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 135:91-99. [PMID: 27422019 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Memories are thought to be represented by discrete physiological changes in the brain, collectively referred to as an engram, that allow patterns of activity present during learning to be reactivated in the future. During the formation of a conditioned fear memory, a subset of principal (excitatory) neurons in the lateral amygdala (LA) are allocated to a neuronal ensemble that encodes an association between an initially neutral stimulus and a threatening aversive stimulus. Previous experimental and computational work suggests that this subset consists of only a small proportion of all LA neurons, and that this proportion remains constant across different memories. Here we examine the mechanisms that contribute to the stability of the size of the LA component of an engram supporting a fear memory. Visualizing expression of the activity-dependent gene Arc following memory retrieval to identify neurons allocated to an engram, we first show that the overall size of the LA engram remains constant across conditions of different memory strength. That is, the strength of a memory was not correlated with the number of LA neurons allocated to the engram supporting that memory. We then examine potential mechanisms constraining the size of the LA engram by expressing inhibitory DREADDS (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) in parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons of the amygdala. We find that silencing PV+ neurons during conditioning increases the size of the engram, especially in the dorsal subnucleus of the LA. These results confirm predictions from modeling studies regarding the role of inhibition in shaping the size of neuronal memory ensembles and provide additional support for the idea that neurons in the LA are sparsely allocated to the engram based on relative neuronal excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dano J Morrison
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Asim J Rashid
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Adelaide P Yiu
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chen Yan
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Psychology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sheena A Josselyn
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dept. Psychology, University of Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Abstract
Social decisions require evaluation of costs and benefits to oneself and others. Long associated with emotion and vigilance, the amygdala has recently been implicated in both decision-making and social behavior. The amygdala signals reward and punishment, as well as facial expressions and the gaze of others. Amygdala damage impairs social interactions, and the social neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) influences human social decisions, in part, by altering amygdala function. Here we show in monkeys playing a modified dictator game, in which one individual can donate or withhold rewards from another, that basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons signaled social preferences both across trials and across days. BLA neurons mirrored the value of rewards delivered to self and others when monkeys were free to choose but not when the computer made choices for them. We also found that focal infusion of OT unilaterally into BLA weakly but significantly increased both the frequency of prosocial decisions and attention to recipients for context-specific prosocial decisions, endorsing the hypothesis that OT regulates social behavior, in part, via amygdala neuromodulation. Our findings demonstrate both neurophysiological and neuroendocrinological connections between primate amygdala and social decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve W C Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510;
| | | | - Koji Toda
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Amanda V Utevsky
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - John M Pearson
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Michael L Platt
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Marketing Department, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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19
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Bogolepova IN, Antiukhov AD. [PECULIARITIES OF STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF AMYGDALA BASOLATERAL NUCLEUS IN THE BRAIN OF MEN AND WOMEN]. Morfologiia 2015; 147:17-20. [PMID: 26234034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Using the morphometric method, neuron profile field areas and the density of neurons and gliocytes were measured in amygdala basolateral nucleus in left and right hemispheres of the brain in 6 men and 6 women aged 19 to 55 years. Women showed a tendency towards hemispheric asymmetry of the indices studied with their greater values found in left hemisphere. In the group of men, the opposite tendency to hemispheric asymmetry was found: greater values of the indices studied were detected in right hemisphere.
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Wang JJ, Yao WQ, Chen YJ, Ma L, Tao YZ. [Neurons in NAc core and BLA are activated during cocaine context-associated reward memory retrieval in mice]. Sheng Li Xue Bao 2014; 66:545-558. [PMID: 25332000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The intense associative memories that develop between cocaine-paired contexts and rewarding stimuli make addiction hard to cure by contributing to cocaine seeking and relapse. So it's of great importance to examine the neurobiological basis of addiction memory. Cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) used in this study is a form of Pavlovian conditioning which can establish associations between drug and contextual factors. c-Fos and Zif268 are commonly used immediate early gene (IEG) makers to identify neurons that are activated after a stimulus or behavioral conditioning. This study was designed to reveal neuronal c-Fos, Zif268 expression pattern in 10 brain regions following cocaine context-associated reward memory retrieval in mice, combining animal behavioral study and immunofluorescence method. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: Saline retrieval, Cocaine retrieval, and No retrieval of cocaine groups. Cocaine retrieval and No retrieval of cocaine underwent CPP training (one side paired with cocaine, and the other side with saline) except that No retrieval of cocaine group didn't undergo CPP test. Saline retrieval group received saline injections (i.p) on both sides. The results showed that: Neuronal c-Fos, Zif268 protein expression levels in nucleus accumbens (NAc) core both were elevated in Cocaine retrieval group compared with those in Saline retrieval (Control) group during cocaine context-associated reward memory retrieval. Zif268 protein expression level in basolateral amygdala (BLA) was also elevated in Cocaine retrieval group compared with that in control mice. Elevation was not seen in other regions such as hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC). Thus, NAc core and BLA were activated during cocaine context-associated reward memory retrieval. The results suggest that neurons that are activated in NAc core and BLA are crucial basis of cocaine context-associated reward memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jun Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Pharmacology Research Center, Shanghai Medical College and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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21
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Abstract
Here I review the diversity of GABAergic neurons in the rodent basolateral amygdala (BLA). In spite of the recent identification of the role played by certain neurons of BLA in learning and memory of fear, the diversity of GABAergic neurons has not been fully explored. I describe analogies and differences between GABAergic neurons in BLA and cerebral cortex. Emphasis is given to a comprehensive functional, neurochemical and anatomical classification of GABAergic neuron types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Capogna
- MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK.
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22
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Wang P, Fang M, Zha Y, Lai J, Li Z. Dopamine inhibits excitatory neurotransmission in basolateral amygdala during development via pre-synaptic mechanism. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2014; 35:385-392. [PMID: 25275260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dopaminergic signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is important for emotion-related activity. However, little is known about the influence of dopamine (DA) on excitatory synaptic transmission of pyramidal neurons in BLA at early developmental stage. Here in this study, we observed the effect of DA on excitatory neurotransmission in the pyramidal cells of BLA in acute slices. METHODS Acute slices from amygdala of rats at the age of 14-16 days were prepared and maintained in vitro using standard method. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were performed to examine the evoked excitatory postsynaptic current (eEPSC), spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) and miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC). Drugs including DA and synaptic blockers were added in recording solution due to different experimental designs. RESULTS We found that bath application of DA at a concentration of 100 μM significantly inhibited the amplitude of evoked EPSC. However, the amplitude and frequency of mEPSC were not affected. We also found increased pair pulse facilitation after DA application, indicating DA inhibited excitatory neurotransmission through suppression of release probability at the pre-synaptic terminals. Importantly, DA was also effective in decreasing activity induced upregulation in sEPSCs. Moreover, the DA effects were not affected by either antagonist of dopamine 1 or dopamine 2-like receptors. CONCLUSION We studied the effects of DA on excitatory neurotransmission and found that DA inhibited glutamatergic synaptic transmission via modulation of pre-synaptic release probability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical School of China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Ming Fang
- Department of Neurology, the First People's Hospital of Yichang, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Yunhong Zha
- Department of Neurology, the First People's Hospital of Yichang, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Jianping Lai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First People's Hospital of Yichang, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Zicheng Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical School of China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
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