Topic: cholecystokinin

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is increasingly recognized as a key regulator of depression and anxiety-like behaviors. However, the specific contribution of individual BLA neurons to these behaviors remains poorly understood. Building on our previous study, which demonstrated increased activity in glutamatergic BLA neurons in response to aversive stimuli and that enhancing inhibition in the BLA can alleviate depressive-like behaviors, we investigated the role of individual GABAergic neurons (BLAGABA) in depressive and anxiety-like phenotypes. Our findings indicate that BLAGABA neurons show dec

We have identified a homeostatic response in a Scn1a+/- mouse model of Dravet syndrome (DS), a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy caused by genetic variants of the SCN1A gene, leading to loss of function of the NaV1.1 sodium channel and consequent hypoexcitability of GABAergic neurons. Strikingly, we observed that cholecystokinin (CCK)-positive basket cells are hyperexcitable, unlike other GABAergic neurons, leading to increased release of CCK, which is a neuromodulator that can increase the excitability of other GABAergic interneurons. We have boosted this homeostatic response in a th

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a cortical structure playing a role in various cognitive processes. In spite of many studies focusing on local information processing within the circuits of the BLA, the features of amygdalar principal neurons (PNs) remained elusive. Here, we combined neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and tracing techniques to determine the single-cell features, dendritic and axonal projections of PNs within the lateral (LA) and basal amygdala (BA). Using a mouse reporter line, we found that cholecystokinin (CCK) expression defined two groups of spatially segregated PNs bo

Sharp wave-ripples (SPW-Rs) are short, high-frequency electrographic events critically involved in learning and memory. In the hippocampus, where SPW-Rs are generated, distinct types of interneurons show diverse activity dynamics during these oscillations. One characteristic behaviour is displayed by TORO cells we recently described, such GABAergic neurons that show particularly robust spiking activity during SPW-Rs but reduced firing during theta activity. The disinhibitory nature of TORO cells raises the question of whether interneurons with opposite behavior also exists. In this study, us

Early-life stress (ELS) disrupts brain development and predisposes sufferers to stress-related disorders and compulsive behaviour in adulthood. Accumulating evidence connects these disorders with neurons within the stress-sensitive, brainstem nucleus incertus (NI), which synthesize the neuropeptides, relaxin-3 (RLN3) and cholecystokinin (CCK). Although NI RLN3 neurons are implicated in stress responses, arousal and drug-seeking behaviour, their vulnerability to stress during development has not been explored, and little is known about NI CCK neurons. Therefore, this study investigated the infl

Despite an overall increase in caloric needs, regular physical activity has been associated with improved appetite signaling. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying this sensitization remain unclear. We employed a voluntary wheel running protocol to investigate how physical activity affects gut-brain communication of vagal sensory neurons for the control of feeding behavior in mice. We find that physically active mice exhibit a significant decrease in food intake in response to the delivery of nutrients directly into the stomach, as compared to sedentary controls. Further, sensitivity to ch