title: Heterogeneous electrophysiological and morphological properties of neurons in the mouse medial amygdala in vitro.
abstract: Neurons in the medial nucleus of the amygdala (MeA) play a key role in the innate maternal, reproductive, defensive, and social behaviors. However, it is unclear how activation of the vomeronasal system leads to the behavioral outputs that are associated with pheromones. Here, we characterized the electrophysiological and morphological properties of MeA neurons using whole-cell recordings in mice slice preparations. Biocytin labeling revealed that MeA neurons possessed bipolar to multipolar cell bodies and dendritic fields covering projection areas from the accessory olfactory bulb. In 70% of recorded MeA neurons, monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were evoked from the accessory olfactory bulb afferent in which the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate component was dominant and was rarely followed by the N-methyl-d-aspartic acid component. Norepinephrine increased the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in some neurons, whereas α-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine increased spontaneous EPSCs in other neurons. Morphologically and physiologically, heterogeneous MeA neurons appear likely to produce multiplex outputs of instinctive behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physiology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan. keitaniimi64@gmail.com
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niimi
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kawakami-Mori
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Haruhisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukayama
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sahara
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D048430:Cell Shape; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053444:Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D009638:Norepinephrine