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Wallis TP, Venkatesh BG, Narayana VK, Kvaskoff D, Ho A, Sullivan RK, Windels F, Sah P, Meunier FA. Saturated free fatty acids and association with memory formation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3443. [PMID: 34103527 PMCID: PMC8187648 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23840-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyunsaturated free fatty acids (FFAs) such as arachidonic acid, released by phospholipase activity on membrane phospholipids, have long been considered beneficial for learning and memory and are known modulators of neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. However, the precise nature of other FFA and phospholipid changes in specific areas of the brain during learning is unknown. Here, using a targeted lipidomics approach to characterise FFAs and phospholipids across the rat brain, we demonstrated that the highest concentrations of these analytes were found in areas of the brain classically involved in fear learning and memory, such as the amygdala. Auditory fear conditioning led to an increase in saturated (particularly myristic and palmitic acids) and to a lesser extent unsaturated FFAs (predominantly arachidonic acid) in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Both fear conditioning and changes in FFA required activation of NMDA receptors. These results suggest a role for saturated FFAs in memory acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan P Wallis
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Bharat G Venkatesh
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Vinod K Narayana
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Metabolomics Australia, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David Kvaskoff
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Drug Discovery Sciences, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Alan Ho
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Robert K Sullivan
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - François Windels
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering, and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Frédéric A Meunier
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
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Perumal MB, Sah P. Inhibitory Circuits in the Basolateral Amygdala in Aversive Learning and Memory. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:633235. [PMID: 33994955 PMCID: PMC8120102 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.633235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) play a pivotal role in the learning and memory formation, and processing of emotionally salient experiences, particularly aversive ones. A diverse population of GABAergic neurons present in the BLA orchestrate local circuits to mediate emotional memory functions. Targeted manipulation of GABAergic neuronal subtypes has shed light on cell-type specific functional roles in the fear learning and memory, revealing organizing principles for the operation of inhibitory circuit motifs in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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Noguchi A, Ikegaya Y, Matsumoto N. In Vivo Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Methods: Recent Technical Progress and Future Perspectives. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:1448. [PMID: 33669656 PMCID: PMC7922023 DOI: 10.3390/s21041448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Brain functions are fundamental for the survival of organisms, and they are supported by neural circuits consisting of a variety of neurons. To investigate the function of neurons at the single-cell level, researchers often use whole-cell patch-clamp recording techniques. These techniques enable us to record membrane potentials (including action potentials) of individual neurons of not only anesthetized but also actively behaving animals. This whole-cell recording method enables us to reveal how neuronal activities support brain function at the single-cell level. In this review, we introduce previous studies using in vivo patch-clamp recording techniques and recent findings primarily regarding neuronal activities in the hippocampus for behavioral function. We further discuss how we can bridge the gap between electrophysiology and biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asako Noguchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (A.N.); (Y.I.)
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (A.N.); (Y.I.)
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Matsumoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (A.N.); (Y.I.)
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Abstract
Fear is a response to impending threat that prepares a subject to make appropriate defensive responses, whether to freeze, fight, or flee to safety. The neural circuits that underpin how subjects learn about cues that signal threat, and make defensive responses, have been studied using Pavlovian fear conditioning in laboratory rodents as well as humans. These studies have established the amygdala as a key player in the circuits that process fear and led to a model where fear learning results from long-term potentiation of inputs that convey information about the conditioned stimulus to the amygdala. In this review, we describe the circuits in the basolateral amygdala that mediate fear learning and its expression as the conditioned response. We argue that while the evidence linking synaptic plasticity in the basolateral amygdala to fear learning is strong, there is still no mechanism that fully explains the changes that underpin fear conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Sun
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Helen Gooch
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.,Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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Pérez-Valenzuela C, Terreros G, Dagnino-Subiabre A. Effects of stress on the auditory system: an approach to study a common origin for mood disorders and dementia. Rev Neurosci 2019; 30:317-324. [PMID: 30205652 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2018-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The concept of stress is a fundamental piece to understand how organisms can adapt to the demands produced by a continuously changing environment. However, modern lifestyle subjects humans to high levels of negative stress or distress, which increases the prevalence of mental illnesses. Definitely, stress has become the pandemic of the 21st century, a fact that demands a great intellectual effort from scientists to understand the neurobiology of stress. This review proposes an innovative point of view to understand that mood disorders and dementia have a common etiology in a stressful environment. We propose that distress produces sensory deprivation, and this interferes with the connection between the brain and the environment in which the subject lives. The auditory system can serve as an example to understand this idea. In this sense, distress impairs the auditory system and induces hearing loss or presbycusis at an early age; this can increase the cognitive load in stressed people, which can stimulate the development of dementia in them. On the other hand, distress impairs the auditory system and increases the excitability of the amygdala, a limbic structure involved in the emotional processing of sounds. A consequence of these alterations could be the increase in the persistence of auditory fear memory, which could increase the development of mood disorders. Finally, it is important to emphasize that stress is an evolutionary issue that is necessary to understand the mental health of humans in these modern times. This article is a contribution to this discussion and will provide insights into the origin of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Pérez-Valenzuela
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Gonzalo Terreros
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de O'Higgins, Rancagua, Chile.,Auditory and Cognition Center (AUCO), Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexies Dagnino-Subiabre
- Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.,Auditory and Cognition Center (AUCO), Santiago, Chile
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7
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Abstract
The activity of neural circuits that underpin particular behaviours are one of the most interesting questions in neurobiology today. This understanding will not only lead to a detailed understanding of learning and memory formation, but also provides a platform for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to a range of neurological disorders that afflict humans. Among the different behavioural paradigms, Pavlovian fear conditioning and its extinction are two of the most extensively used to study acquisition, consolidation and retrieval of fear-related memories. The amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus are three regions with extensive bidirectional connections, and play key roles in fear processing. In this chapter, we summarise our current understanding of the structure and physiological role of these three regions in fear learning and extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Marek
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Paré D, Quirk GJ. WHEN SCIENTIFIC PARADIGMS LEAD TO TUNNEL VISION: LESSONS FROM THE STUDY OF FEAR. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2017; 2:6. [PMID: 30294453 PMCID: PMC6171770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
For the past 30 years, research on the amygdala has largely focused on the genesis of defensive behaviors as its main function. This focus originated from early lesion studies and was supported by extensive anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological data. Here we argue that while much data is consistent with the fear model of amygdala function, it has never been directly tested, in part due to overreliance on the fear conditioning task. In support of the fear model, amygdala neurons appear to signal threats and/or stimuli predictive of threats. However, recent studies in a natural threat setting show that amygdala activity does not correlate with threats, but simply with the movement of the rat, independent of valence. This was true for both natural threats as well as conditioned stimuli; indeed there was no evidence of threat signaling in amygdala neurons. Similar findings are emerging for prefrontal neurons that modulate the amygdala. These recent developments lead us to propose a new conceptualization of amygdala function whereby the amygdala inhibits behavioral engagement. Moreover, we propose that the goal of understanding the amygdala will be best served by shifting away from fear conditioning toward naturalistic approach and avoidance paradigms that involve decision making and a larger repertoire of spontaneous and learned behaviors, all the while keeping an open mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, NJ 07102 USA
| | - Gregory J. Quirk
- University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00936-5067 USA
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Paré D, Quirk GJ. WHEN SCIENTIFIC PARADIGMS LEAD TO TUNNEL VISION: LESSONS FROM THE STUDY OF FEAR. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2017; 2:6. [PMID: 30294453 PMCID: PMC6171770 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-017-0007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
For the past 30 years, research on the amygdala has largely focused on the genesis of defensive behaviors as its main function. This focus originated from early lesion studies and was supported by extensive anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological data. Here we argue that while much data is consistent with the fear model of amygdala function, it has never been directly tested, in part due to overreliance on the fear conditioning task. In support of the fear model, amygdala neurons appear to signal threats and/or stimuli predictive of threats. However, recent studies in a natural threat setting show that amygdala activity does not correlate with threats, but simply with the movement of the rat, independent of valence. This was true for both natural threats as well as conditioned stimuli; indeed there was no evidence of threat signaling in amygdala neurons. Similar findings are emerging for prefrontal neurons that modulate the amygdala. These recent developments lead us to propose a new conceptualization of amygdala function whereby the amygdala inhibits behavioral engagement. Moreover, we propose that the goal of understanding the amygdala will be best served by shifting away from fear conditioning toward naturalistic approach and avoidance paradigms that involve decision making and a larger repertoire of spontaneous and learned behaviors, all the while keeping an open mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers State University, Newark, NJ 07102 USA
| | - Gregory J. Quirk
- University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00936-5067 USA
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Tactile Stimulation of the Face and the Production of Facial Expressions Activate Neurons in the Primate Amygdala. eNeuro 2016; 3:eN-NWR-0182-16. [PMID: 27752543 PMCID: PMC5054305 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0182-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of neurophysiological studies that have explored the role of the primate amygdala in the evaluation of social signals have relied on visual stimuli such as images of facial expressions. Vision, however, is not the only sensory modality that carries social signals. Both humans and nonhuman primates exchange emotionally meaningful social signals through touch. Indeed, social grooming in nonhuman primates and caressing touch in humans is critical for building lasting and reassuring social bonds. To determine the role of the amygdala in processing touch, we recorded the responses of single neurons in the macaque amygdala while we applied tactile stimuli to the face. We found that one-third of the recorded neurons responded to tactile stimulation. Although we recorded exclusively from the right amygdala, the receptive fields of 98% of the neurons were bilateral. A fraction of these tactile neurons were monitored during the production of facial expressions and during facial movements elicited occasionally by touch stimuli. Firing rates arising during the production of facial expressions were similar to those elicited by tactile stimulation. In a subset of cells, combining tactile stimulation with facial movement further augmented the firing rates. This suggests that tactile neurons in the amygdala receive input from skin mechanoceptors that are activated by touch and by compressions and stretches of the facial skin during the contraction of the underlying muscles. Tactile neurons in the amygdala may play a role in extracting the valence of touch stimuli and/or monitoring the facial expressions of self during social interactions.
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