Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala

Sun，Yajie1; Qian，Lei1,2; Xu，Li1; Hunt，Sarah1; Sah，Pankaj1,3

2020

10.1038/s41380-020-00894-1

MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY   影响因子和分区

1359-4184

1476-5578

Fear and anxiety are two defensive emotional states evoked by threats in the environment. Fear can be initiated by either imminent or future threats, but experimentally, it is typically studied as a phasic response initiated by imminent danger that subsides when the threats is removed. In contrast, anxiety is a sustained response, initiated by imagined or potential threats. The central amygdala (CeA) is a key structure active during both fear and anxiety but thought to engage different neural systems. Fear responses are triggered by activation of somatostatin (SOM) expressing neurons in the lateral division of the CeA (CeL), and downstream projections from the medial division. Anxiety responses engage the central extended amygdala that includes the CeA, central sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEAc) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but the nature of connections between these regions is not understood. Here using a combination of tract tracing, electrophysiology, and behavioral analysis in mice, we show that a population of SOM+ neurons in the CeL project to the SLEAc where they inhibit local GABAergic interneurons. Optogenetic activation of this input to the SLEAc has no effect on movement, but is anxiogenic in both open field and elevated plus maze. Our results define the inhibitory connections between CeL and SLEAc and establish a specific CeL to SLEAc projection as a circuit element in mediating anxiety.

SCI

英语

NI论文

通讯

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology ; Neurosciences & Neurology ; Psychiatry

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology ; Neurosciences ; Psychiatry

WOS:000574357200002

SPRINGERNATURE

NEUROSCIENCE & BEHAVIOR

2-s2.0-85091778892

Scopus

1.Queensland Brain Institute,The University of Queensland,Brisbane,Australia
2.School of Biomedical Sciences,Faculty of Medicine,The University of Queensland,Brisbane,Australia
3.Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,Nanshan District,China

Sun，Yajie,Qian，Lei,Xu，Li,et al. Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala[J]. MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY,2020.

Sun，Yajie,Qian，Lei,Xu，Li,Hunt，Sarah,&Sah，Pankaj.(2020).Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala.MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY.

Sun，Yajie,et al."Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala".MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY (2020).