Astrocyte activity in amygdala-related fear conditioned behaviors

项目摘要/摘要 本研究的总体目标是更好地了解大鼠脑内侧亚核中的星形胶质细胞是如何 中央杏仁核(CEM)调节条件性恐惧行为。我们最近发现使用脑片 CEM中星形胶质细胞的外源性激活强烈调节突触传递并减少 CEM神经元活动。然而，在确定CEM星形胶质细胞在体内的作用方面仍然存在关键差距。 它们在恐惧条件化行为中的作用，以及连接 中枢神经系统中神经元和星形胶质细胞网络的协同活动。因此，这项提议的目标是 通过测量星形胶质细胞和神经元的活动来解决这些知识上的差距 杏仁核在自由，行为使用光学和遗传方法的小鼠。在Aim1中，我们将录制 线索恐惧习得、表达和消退过程中中脑皮质星形胶质细胞的活动 条件反射的行为。它们将提供第一个生理证据，证明星形胶质细胞是特定的 在条件性恐惧反应的特定阶段被不同地激活。在《目标2》中我们将 确定CEM星形胶质细胞在调节杏仁核驱动的反应中是否具有内源性作用。 它还将进一步测试星形细胞内源性大麻素信号在这些行为中的作用。在《目标3》中我们 将决定CEM星形胶质细胞外源性激活的细胞和行为后果 使用化学遗传学和光遗传学方法。总而言之，拟议的研究将提供许多 更详细地描述星形胶质细胞在中央杏仁核中的作用，并延长我们最近的体外实验 杏仁体切片研究。这些知识将为新的药物治疗策略铺平道路。 焦虑/恐惧障碍，通过利用星形胶质细胞受体表达的不寻常特征 来规范他们的活动。因此，我们的研究将有助于产生一种新的治疗策略 神经系统疾病，如焦虑症、创伤后应激综合征 杏仁核中的细胞类型研究不足。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overall goal of this research is to better understand how astrocytes in the medial subnucleus of the central amygdala (CeM) modulate conditioned fear behaviors. We recently found using brain slices that exogenous activation of astrocytes in the CeM powerfully regulates synaptic transmission and decreases CeM neuronal activity. However, critical gaps remain in identifying the role of CeM astrocytes in vivo, their contribution during fear conditioned behaviors, and the neurochemical pathways that couple the concerted activity of neuronal and astrocyte networks in the CeM. The goal of this proposal is therefore to address these gaps in knowledge by performing measurements of astrocytic and neuronal activity in the amygdala in freely, behaving mice using optical and genetic methods. In Aim1 we will record the activity of astrocytes in the CeM during the acquisition, expression and extinction of cued fear conditioned behaviors. They will provide the first physiological evidence that astrocytes are specifically and differentially activated during specific phases of conditioned fear responses. In Aim 2 we will determine whether CeM astrocytes have an endogenous role in modulating amygdala-driven responses. It will also further test the role of astrocytic endocannabinoid signaling in these behaviors. In Aim 3 we will determine the cellular and behavioral consequences upon exogenous activation of CeM astrocytes using chemogenetic and optogenetic methods. In summary, the proposed studies will provide a much more detailed picture on the role of astrocytes in the central amygdala and extend our recent ex vivo amygdala slice studies. This knowledge will pave the way for new pharmacological strategies to treat anxiety/fear disorders, by taking advantage of the uncommon profile of receptor expression of astrocytes to regulate their activity. Therefore, our studies will contribute to generate a new strategy to treat neurological diseases, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome by targeting a relatively understudied cell type in the amygdala.