title: Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala.
abstract: Much evidence indicates that fear conditioning involves potentiation of some thalamic inputs to the lateral amygdala (LA). In turn, the LA would excite more neurons in the central nucleus (CE), leading to the generation of fear responses via their brainstem and hypothalamic projections. However, the posterior thalamus not only projects to LA but also to the medial sector of CE (CEm), suggesting that CEm might also be a site of plasticity. To test whether CEm also exhibits activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, we performed whole-cell recordings of CEm neurons in amygdala slices and stimulated thalamic axons coursing through the internal capsule and, as a control, the basolateral (BL) nucleus. High-frequency stimulation of thalamic inputs led to a long-lasting potentiation of thalamic responses, whereas BL-evoked responses remained unchanged. This thalamic long-term potentiation (LTP) developed even when slices were prepared with a cut severing the connections between the LA and CEm but was greatly reduced when an NMDA receptor antagonist was added to the perfusate shortly before and during LTP induction. Yet, intracellular dialysis with the NMDA receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate did not prevent induction of the thalamic LTP, suggesting that presynaptic NMDA receptors are required for its induction. Consistent with this, the thalamic LTP also developed when the cells were dialyzed with a calcium chelator or kept hyperpolarized during induction. Finally, this thalamic LTP was associated with reduced amounts of paired-pulse facilitation, suggesting that it is expressed presynaptically. These results are consistent with the idea that the CEm plays an active role in fear conditioning.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paré
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011930:Reaction Time; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D002614:Chelating Agents; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D010852:Picrotoxin; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 1999;22:443-85
references.pmid: 10202545
references.citation: Neuron. 1999 Jun;23(2):227-8
references.pmid: 10399929
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1999 Oct;82(4):1843-54
references.pmid: 10515973
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1999 Dec 1;19(23):10512-9
references.pmid: 10575047
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1999 Dec 1;19(23):10575-83
references.pmid: 10575053
references.citation: Learn Mem. 2000 Mar-Apr;7(2):97-103
references.pmid: 10753976
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2000;23:155-84
references.pmid: 10845062
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2000 Jun;83(6):3509-18
references.pmid: 10848566
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2000 Jul 24;423(2):330-47
references.pmid: 10867662
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 2000 Oct;134(4):520-32
references.pmid: 11081834
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2001 Jul;4(7):724-31
references.pmid: 11426229
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2001;24:897-931
references.pmid: 11520922
references.citation: Learn Mem. 2001 Sep-Oct;8(5):229-42
references.pmid: 11584069
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2001 Oct;86(4):1644-51
references.pmid: 11600627
references.citation: Annu Rev Physiol. 2002;64:355-405
references.pmid: 11826273
references.citation: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Mar;71(3):379-92
references.pmid: 11830172
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2002 Feb;15(3):545-52
references.pmid: 11876782
references.citation: Neuron. 2002 Apr 11;34(2):289-300
references.pmid: 11970870
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2002 Jun 15;22(12):5239-49
references.pmid: 12077219
references.citation: Neuroscience. 2002;115(2):455-62
references.pmid: 12421611
references.citation: Nature. 2003 Apr 3;422(6931):518-22
references.pmid: 12673250
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 2003 May 26;460(2):191-202
references.pmid: 12687684
references.citation: Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Apr;17(7):1527-30
references.pmid: 12713656
references.citation: Nat Neurosci. 2003 Jun;6(6):587-92
references.pmid: 12740581
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2003 Jul 30;23(17):6876-83
references.pmid: 12890782
references.citation: Neuron. 2003 Aug 14;39(4):641-54
references.pmid: 12925278
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 2003 Aug;117(4):738-50
references.pmid: 12931959
references.citation: Nature. 1992 Jan 2;355(6355):50-5
references.pmid: 1346229
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 1992 Jun;106(3):569-574
references.pmid: 1352104
references.citation: Nature. 2003 Dec 18;426(6968):841-5
references.pmid: 14685239
references.citation: Neuron. 2004 Jan 8;41(1):139-51
references.pmid: 14715141
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2004 Sep;92(3):1285-94
references.pmid: 15128752
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2004 Jul;92(1):1-9
references.pmid: 15212433
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2004 Sep 1;24(35):7654-62
references.pmid: 15342732
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1991 Nov 8;313(2):295-325
references.pmid: 1765584
references.citation: Nature. 1990 Jul 12;346(6280):177-80
references.pmid: 2164158
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Feb;85(4):1307-11
references.pmid: 2448800
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1988 Jul;8(7):2517-29
references.pmid: 2854842
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1987 Dec 1;266(1):45-55
references.pmid: 3429715
references.citation: Behav Brain Res. 1985 Aug;16(2-3):117-33
references.pmid: 4041212
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1985 Dec 8;242(2):182-213
references.pmid: 4086664
references.citation: J Physiol. 1968 Mar;195(2):481-92
references.pmid: 4296699
references.citation: Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1972;134(4):439-58
references.pmid: 4638299
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1979 Dec;23(6):1109-17
references.pmid: 542522
references.citation: Brain Res. 1983 Dec 12;288(1-2):13-9
references.pmid: 6198023
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1978 Mar 15;178(2):255-80
references.pmid: 627626
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 1984;54(2):203-11
references.pmid: 6327347
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 1978 Aug 15;32(4):529-47
references.pmid: 689127
references.citation: J Physiol. 1980 Feb;299:409-24
references.pmid: 7381775
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1980 Jun 15;191(4):545-56
references.pmid: 7419733
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 1993 Dec;16(12):521-7
references.pmid: 7509523
references.citation: Neuron. 1995 Nov;15(5):1029-39
references.pmid: 7576647
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 1995;18:129-58
references.pmid: 7605058
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1995 May 29;356(2):288-310
references.pmid: 7629320
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1993 Oct;70(4):1451-9
references.pmid: 7904300
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1994 Apr 8;342(2):232-48
references.pmid: 7911130
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1994 Sep;14(9):5202-22
references.pmid: 8083731
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1993 Dec;57(4):1061-76
references.pmid: 8309543
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1993 Dec;57(4):1077-90
references.pmid: 8309544
references.citation: Nature. 1993 Jan 7;361(6407):31-9
references.pmid: 8421494
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1993 Jan;52(2):281-94
references.pmid: 8450947
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1995 Nov;69(2):567-83
references.pmid: 8552250
references.citation: J Comp Neurol. 1995 Nov 6;362(1):86-108
references.pmid: 8576430
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 1996 Aug;110(4):727-36
references.pmid: 8864264
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1996 Nov;75(2):339-44
references.pmid: 8931000
references.citation: Nature. 1997 Apr 17;386(6626):721-4
references.pmid: 9109489
references.citation: Behav Neurosci. 1997 Aug;111(4):683-91
references.pmid: 9267646
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 1997 Nov;20(11):517-23
references.pmid: 9364666
references.citation: Neuroscience. 1998 Feb;82(4):1225-42
references.pmid: 9466442
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1998 May 1;18(9):3426-32
references.pmid: 9547249
references.citation: Prog Neurobiol. 1998 Jun;55(3):257-332
references.pmid: 9643556
references.citation: Neuron. 1998 Jul;21(1):169-78
references.pmid: 9697861
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1999 Jan 15;19(2):511-9
references.pmid: 9880571