ePoster

Entorhinal-amygdala circuits safeguard spatial object navigation

Lukasz Piszczek, Vincent Böhm, Alina Bednarz, Pinelopi Pliota, Klaus Kraitsy, Wulf Haubensak
FENS Forum 2024(2024)
Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Conference

FENS Forum 2024

Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Resources

Authors & Affiliations

Lukasz Piszczek, Vincent Böhm, Alina Bednarz, Pinelopi Pliota, Klaus Kraitsy, Wulf Haubensak

Abstract

Object-directed behaviors are crucial for survival in natural environments. Although recent interest has focused on the encoding of objects and the representation of egocentric spatial relationships within the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC), the downstream circuitry and mechanisms orchestrating these behaviors remain elusive. Similarly, significant progress has been made in uncovering amygdala circuit-level mechanisms for defensive and appetitive behaviors, yet integrating spatial object information within specific amygdala circuits remains a puzzle. To address these gaps, we unveil a comprehensive LEC-amygdala network that not only encodes objects and object distance but also orchestrates experience-dependent avoidance behavior using a mouse object conditioning task. Our study reveals the intricacies of specific LEC-to-basolateral amygdala (BLA) and centrolateral amygdala (CEl) projections, finely tuned to regulate spatial interactions with objects in the environment. These circuits integrate two experience-dependent valence channels – one flexible, the other fixed – modulating an ethologically relevant safety mechanism crucial for navigating threat objects amidst uncertainty. The balance between these signals converges and integrates within the CE, exerting precise control over object encounters and proximity. Together, we propose a comprehensive neuronal circuit framework underlying ethologically relevant behavior and offer a roadmap for future exploration into the intricate interplay between action sequences and object encoding within the LEC and amygdala circuitry. This not only expands current understandings of LEC-amygdala circuitry function but also sheds light on the transformative process through which object information within the brain network translates into meaningful, directed behavior.

Unique ID: fens-24/entorhinal-amygdala-circuits-safeguard-63512f63