title: Processing of visually evoked innate fear by a non-canonical thalamic pathway.
abstract: The ability of animals to respond to life-threatening stimuli is essential for survival. Although vision provides one of the major sensory inputs for detecting threats across animal species, the circuitry underlying defensive responses to visual stimuli remains poorly defined. Here, we investigate the circuitry underlying innate defensive behaviours elicited by predator-like visual stimuli in mice. Our results demonstrate that neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) are essential for a variety of acute and persistent defensive responses to overhead looming stimuli. Optogenetic mapping revealed that SC projections to the lateral posterior nucleus (LP) of the thalamus, a non-canonical polymodal sensory relay, are sufficient to mimic visually evoked fear responses. In vivo electrophysiology experiments identified a di-synaptic circuit from SC through LP to the lateral amygdale (Amg), and lesions of the Amg blocked the full range of visually evoked defensive responses. Our results reveal a novel collicular-thalamic-Amg circuit important for innate defensive responses to visual threats.
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Pengfei
authors: P
authors: Wei
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Nan
authors: N
authors: Liu
authors: 1] Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China [2] College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors: Zhijian
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Xuemei
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Yongqiang
authors: Y
authors: Tang
authors: Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors: Xiaobin
authors: X
authors: He
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Bifeng
authors: B
authors: Wu
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Zhou
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Yaohan
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors: Xuanyi
authors: X
authors: Zhou
authors: Institute of Zoology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, and School of Life Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, The University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
authors: Guoqiang
authors: G
authors: Bi
authors: Institute of Zoology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
authors: Xintian
authors: X
authors: Hu
authors: Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors: Fuqiang
authors: F
authors: Xu
authors: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors: Liping
authors: L
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D007323:Instinct; D020647:Lateral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D062308:Optogenetics; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*