Topic: chemogenetic silencing

Adaptive behavior is critically dependent on associative learning, where environmental cues are linked with subsequent positive or negative outcomes. At the core of this process, primary neocortical sensory areas serve as pivotal nodes, processing stimuli and distributing information to cortical and subcortical networks. Layer 5 (L5) of the cortex comprises two types of pyramidal projection neurons---intratelencephalic (IT) and extratelencephalic (ET) neurons---each with distinct downstream targets. Sensory cortex exhibits plastic changes after forming a sensory-reward association and L5 neuro

Humans and other animals must sometimes “think outside the box” to discover better strategies that solve old problems under novel conditions, but how the metaphorical “box” itself constrains learning is unknown. In operant tasks, the mechanisms behind learning are often framed just in terms of reinforcing success or punishing failure, and any predisposed strategies for guiding actions are ignored. In ethological behaviors though, animals often have instinctive predispositions in how they approach an evolutionarily adapted task but can also learn new ways to do better. Combining chemogenetics,

Associative learning is crucial for adapting to environmental changes. Interactions among neuronal populations involving the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in rodents are proposed to regulate associative memory. However, how these neuronal populations store and process information about the association remains unclear. Here we developed a pipeline for longitudinal two-photon imaging and computational dissection of neural population activities in male mouse dmPFC during fear-conditioning procedures, enabling us to detect learning-dependent changes in the dmPFC network topology. After co

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is important for both sensory integration and the processing of affective aspects of pain to coordinate appropriate behavioral reactions. However, the role of the projections of ACC neurons to subcortical areas and their influence on sensory processing are not fully understood. Here, we identified that ACC neurons preferentially project to the contralateral claustrum (CLA). Extracellular recordings in awake mice showed that ACC neurons projecting to the contralateral claustrum (ACC→contraCLA) preferentially respond to contralateral mechanical sensory stimula

The subiculum > hypothalamic path has critical roles in expressing defensive responses in a wide range of threatening situations. This path is engaged during exposure to a natural predator or its context, social defeat, and contexts related to physically harmful events. Previous data have shown that the ventral and intermediate subiculum provide strong projections to a continuum formed by the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN) and juxtadorsomedial part of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHAjd). By combining track tracing, chemogenetic, and calcium imaging experiments, we focused on differen

Schizophrenia is a major disabling psychiatric disease, significantly impacts patients' social functioning. The lateral septum (LS), a brain region connecting the cortex to the hypothalamus and crucial for regulating affect and social behaviors, is implicated in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that specific populations of LS neurons regulating social interactions are dysregulated during schizophrenia and leveraged the Df(16)A+/- mouse model of schizophrenia to test our hypothesis. This model contains the human 22q11 microdeletion, which in humans, confers a 30% probability to develop schizophre

Memories are thought to be stored as material changes occurring in sparse, widely distributed populations of neurons known as engrams. This neural plasticity is theorised to promote re-activation of this network of engram cells upon re-exposure to relevant cues, thus leading to memory retrieval. Significant evidence exists to support this theory in relation to highly aversive or rewarding experiences, however less evidence exists to support the existence of engrams for day-to-day learning experiences. Here we used TRAP2 mice to characterize expression patterns and plasticity in neurons activat

Learning from others is one of the main expressions of humans’ social nature. Evolution has favored this capacity, conserved across species, for the environmental advantages compared to trial-and-error learning. Social group members are critical agents for the learning and development of social and prosocial behaviors. However, whether rodents can acquire prosocial behaviors through observation is not understood. Here, we used a social decision-making paradigm (SDM) in mice in which an observer can learn from a demonstrator how to share a reward with their conspecifics. Following observation,

The transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily member 8 (TRPM8) is a cold-activated receptor whose expression in the peripheral nervous system supports the detection of environmental cold temperatures. Surprisingly, TRMP8 is also expressed in the lateral septum (LS), a basal ganglia region, even though the brain temperature varies little. The LS is an important hub for the regulation of motivated behaviors, integrating cortical information and controlling the activity of subcortical areas. We hypothesized that TRPM8 neurons from LS (LSTRPM8 neurons) are part of a volitional thermore