Divergent projections of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus mediate the selection of passive and active defensive behaviors.

Autor: Ma J; Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA., du Hoffmann J; Central Nervous System Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany.; Rodent Behavioral Core, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA., Kindel M; Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA., Beas BS; Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA., Chudasama Y; Rodent Behavioral Core, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.; Section on Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA., Penzo MA; Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. mario.penzo@nih.gov.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nature neuroscience [Nat Neurosci] 2021 Oct; Vol. 24 (10), pp. 1429-1440. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Aug 19.
DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00912-7
Abstrakt: The appropriate selection of passive and active defensive behaviors in threatening situations is essential for survival. Previous studies have shown that passive defensive responses depend on activity of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), whereas active ones primarily rely on the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, the mechanisms underlying flexible switching between these two types of responses remain unknown. Here we show in mice that the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) mediates the selection of defensive behaviors through its interaction with the CeA and the NAc. We show that the PVT-CeA pathway drives conditioned freezing responses, whereas the PVT-NAc pathway is inhibited during freezing and, instead, signals active avoidance events. Optogenetic manipulations revealed that activity in the PVT-CeA or PVT-NAc pathway biases behavior toward the selection of passive or active defensive responses, respectively. These findings provide evidence that the PVT mediates flexible switching between opposing defensive behaviors.
(© 2021. This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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