LPBN→LH CIRCUITRY ENCODES AVERSIVE MEMORY

The formation and long-term consolidation of aversive memory depend on neural circuits that encode negative experiences, yet the upstream inputs that provide the critical signals driving learning and consolidation remain poorly understood. We combined optogenetic circuit manipulation with real-time conditioned place aversion (RTPA) paradigms, together with fiber photometry and patch-clamp electrophysiology, to systematically evaluate the role of the LPBN→LH pathway from behavior to circuit mechanisms. In the RTPA assay, selective activation of LPBN glutamatergic projections to the LH elicited robust immediate avoidance, and this avoidance persisted through day 11 after the start of the experiments, indicating a stable aversive memory formation. These findings support that the LPBN→LH projection not only mediates acute negative affect but also drives and sustains the formation and storage of long-lasting aversive memory.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) Grants funded by the Korea government (MSIT) RS-2023-00262398 and RS-2025-00555096; This research was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea RS-2024-00443893 and Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine Grants KSN2511011.