title: Arc expression identifies the lateral amygdala fear memory trace.
abstract: Memories are encoded within sparsely distributed neuronal ensembles. However, the defining cellular properties of neurons within a memory trace remain incompletely understood. Using a fluorescence-based Arc reporter, we were able to visually identify the distinct subset of lateral amygdala (LA) neurons activated during auditory fear conditioning. We found that Arc-expressing neurons have enhanced intrinsic excitability and are preferentially recruited into newly encoded memory traces. Furthermore, synaptic potentiation of thalamic inputs to the LA during fear conditioning is learning-specific, postsynaptically mediated and highly localized to Arc-expressing neurons. Taken together, our findings validate the immediate-early gene Arc as a molecular marker for the LA neuronal ensemble recruited during fear learning. Moreover, these results establish a model of fear memory formation in which intrinsic excitability determines neuronal selection, whereas learning-related encoding is governed by synaptic plasticity.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: L A
authors: LA
authors: Gouty-Colomer
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Hosseini
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: I M
authors: IM
authors: Marcelo
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Schreiber
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Slump
authors: Division of Morphological Neuroscience, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Saitama, Japan.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: A R
authors: AR
authors: Houweling
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Jaarsma
authors: Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Elgersma
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Kushner
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D010852:Picrotoxin; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; C092069:activity regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein; C054562:yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria; C402565:glutamate decarboxylase 1