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.