Topic: SN-innervated ZI cells

Recent studies have shown that the zona incerta (ZI) plays a key role in modulating defensive behaviors. Accumulation of evidence in the lab has revealed that stress or potential threat engages substantia nigra-to-zona incerta (SN-to-ZI) input to promote defensive behavior. Nevertheless, how the SN-to-ZI input recruits its downstream regions to regulate defensive behavior remains unclear. To address this question, we examine the functional recruitment of SN-to-ZI input by combining excitatory optogenetic manipulation with neural activity marker c-Fos staining to map involved downstream brain r