Experience-dependent modification of a central amygdala fear circuit

Li, H., Penzo, M. A., Taniguchi, H., Kopec, C. D., Huang, Z. J., Li, B. (January 2013) Experience-dependent modification of a central amygdala fear circuit. Nature Neuroscience, 16 (3). pp. 332-339. ISSN 1097-6256

Abstract

The amygdala is essential for fear learning and expression. The central amygdala (CeA), once viewed as a passive relay between the amygdala complex and downstream fear effectors, has emerged as an active participant in fear conditioning. However, the mechanism by which CeA contributes to the learning and expression of fear is unclear. We found that fear conditioning in mice induced robust plasticity of excitatory synapses onto inhibitory neurons in the lateral subdivision of the CeA (CeL). This experience-dependent plasticity was cell specific, bidirectional and expressed presynaptically by inputs from the lateral amygdala. In particular, preventing synaptic potentiation onto somatostatin-positive neurons impaired fear memory formation. Furthermore, activation of these neurons was necessary for fear memory recall and was sufficient to drive fear responses. Our findings support a model in which fear conditioning-induced synaptic modifications in CeL favor the activation of somatostatin-positive neurons, which inhibit CeL output, thereby disinhibiting the medial subdivision of CeA and releasing fear expression.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: organism description > animal behavior
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions
organism description > animal behavior > fear
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons > neuronal circuits
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons > neuronal circuits
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons > neuronal circuits
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Huang lab
CSHL labs > Li lab
CSHL Post Doctoral Fellows
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 27 January 2013
Date Deposited: 11 Feb 2013 15:55
Last Modified: 07 Apr 2015 15:54
PMCID: PMC3581751
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/27234

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item Administrator's edit/view item