title: Independent hypothalamic circuits for social and predator fear.
abstract: The neural circuits mediating fear to naturalistic threats are poorly understood. We found that functionally independent populations of neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), a region that has been implicated in feeding, sex and aggression, are essential for predator and social fear in mice. Our results establish a critical role for VMH in fear and have implications for selective intervention in pathological fear in humans.
authors.affiliation: Mouse Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Monterotondo, Italy.
authors.forename: Bianca A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mattucci
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krzywkowski
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murana
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Illarionova
authors.forename: Valery
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grinevich
authors.forename: Newton S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Canteras
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ragozzino
authors.forename: Cornelius T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003024:Clozapine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000235:genetics; D004597:Electroshock / Q000009:adverse effects; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D046352:Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / Q000502:physiology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D017368:Protein Prenylation; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D012919:Social Behavior; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics; D016704:Synapsins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D054339:Steroidogenic Factor 1; D016704:Synapsins; C515058:steroidogenic factor 1, mouse; C034981:tomato lectin; D003024:Clozapine; C079149:clozapine N-oxide