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Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats

Authors :
Eun Joo Kim
Mi-Seon Kong
Sanggeon Park
Jeiwon Cho
Jeansok John Kim
Source :
eLife, Vol 12 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd, 2024.

Abstract

Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an ‘approach food-avoid predator’ task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation. Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an intermediary role in innate antipredatory-defensive functioning.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2050084X
Volume :
12
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
eLife
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.9b30c95e284e4cc694145e7e480a1e6c
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88733