Basolateral to Central Amygdala Neural Circuits for Appetitive Behaviors.
Basolateral amygdala (BLA) principal cells are capable of driving and antagonizing behaviors of opposing valence. BLA neurons project to the central amygdala (CeA), which also participates in negative and positive behaviors. However, the CeA has primarily been studied as the site for negative behaviors, and the causal role for CeA circuits underlying appetitive behaviors is poorly understood. Here, we identify several genetically distinct populations of CeA neurons that mediate appetitive behaviors and dissect the BLA-to-CeA circuit for appetitive behaviors. Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 1B+BLA pyramidal neurons to dopamine receptor 1+CeA neurons define a pathway for promoting appetitive behaviors, while R-spondin 2+BLA pyramidal neurons to dopamine receptor 2+CeA neurons define a pathway for suppressing appetitive behaviors. These data reveal genetically defined neural circuits in the amygdala that promote and suppress appetitive behaviors analogous to the direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Electronic address: joshuak@mit.edu.
Joshua
J
Kim
RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Xiangyu
X
Zhang
RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Shruti
S
Muralidhar
RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Sarah A
SA
LeBlanc
RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. Electronic address: tonegawa@mit.edu.
Susumu
S
Tonegawa
D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000502:physiology*; D066274:Central Amygdaloid Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D054645:Protein Phosphatase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D019699:Thrombospondins / Q000378:metabolism; D000098907:R-Spondins
D054645:Protein Phosphatase 1; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D019699:Thrombospondins; C583261:Drd1 protein, mouse; C518904:RSPO2 protein, mouse; D000098907:R-Spondins
amygdala circuit; appetitive; basolateral amygdala; central amygdala; direct and indirect pathways; drinking; fear; feeding; freezing; reward