Cortical-like functional organization of the pheromone-processing circuits in the medial amygdala
Cortical-like functional organization of the pheromone-processing circuits in the medial amygdala
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DOI：
10.1152/jn.00902.2007
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发表时间：
2008-01-01
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Luo, Minmin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bian, Xiling;Yanagawa, Yuchio;Luo, Minmin
内侧杏仁核（MeA）是处理信息素信号的关键中心，这些信息素信号调节着社会和生殖行为，但其信号处理的基本细胞机制在很大程度上仍然未知。一些研究表明，MeA属于纹状体，并向下丘脑区域提供抑制输出，包括下丘脑腹内侧（VMH）。通过束示踪、gaba能神经元的遗传标记和针对谷氨酸突触标记物的免疫染色，我们发现大多数投射到VMH的MeA神经元是谷氨酸能神经元。全细胞膜片钳记录显示，vmh -投射神经元在形态学和内在特性方面形成了一个均匀的群体。几乎所有细胞都具有I-h和I-T，在某些情况下，它们可以引起抑制后反弹峰值。对充满神经生物素的细胞的形态学分析显示，神经元具有长树突状乔木，延伸到MeA外层和杏仁核内。因此，在纹状体的主要神经元中，纹状体中突起的vmh神经元在内在生理特性和形态上不同于中棘神经元。相反，它们类似于梨状皮层深处锥体细胞的一个子集。与梨状皮质中的锥体细胞类似，MeA中vmh -突起的神经元接受来自上游感觉区的直接兴奋性输入和来自局部gaba能神经元的抑制性输入。我们得出的结论是，传递到下丘脑的信息素信号是由独特的皮层而不是纹状体电路处理的。
The medial amygdala (MeA) is a critical center for processing pheromonal signals that regulate social and reproductive behaviors, but the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying signal processing in the MeA have remained largely unknown. Some studies suggest that the MeA belongs to the striatum and provides inhibitory output to hypothalamic areas including the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). By combining tract tracing, genetic labeling of GABAergic neurons, and immunostaining against markers for glutamatergic synapses, we found that a majority of MeA neurons projecting to the VMH are glutamatergic. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that VMH-projecting neurons form a homogeneous population in terms of morphological and intrinsic properties. Nearly all cells possess I-h and I-T and in some cases they can give rise to postinhibitory rebound spikes. Morphological analysis of neurobiotin-filled cells revealed neurons with long dendritic arbors that extend to the MeA external layer and within the amygdala. Thus the VMH-projecting neurons in the MeA differ from the medium spiny neurons, the principal neurons of striatum, in terms of intrinsic physiological properties and morphology. In contrast, they resemble a subset of pyramidal cells in deep piriform cortex. Similar to pyramidal cells in piriform cortex, the VMH-projecting neurons in the MeA received direct excitatory input from their upstream sensory areas and inhibitory input from local GABAergic neurons. We conclude that pheromonal signals relayed to the VMH are processed by unique cortical, but not striatal, circuitry in the MeA.