{"title":"Projections from the ventral tegmental area to zona incerta regulate fear generalization in a mouse model of PTSD","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.111079","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Generalized fear is a maladaptive behavior in which non-threatening stimuli elicit a fearful response. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has been demonstrated to play important roles in fear response and fear memory generalization, but the precious neural circuit mechanism is still unclear. Here, we demonstrated that VTA-zona incerta (ZI) glutamatergic projection is involved in regulating high-intensity threatening training induced generalization and anxiety. Combining calcium signal recording and chemogentics, our work reveals that VTA glutamatergic neurons respond to closed arm entering in the model of PTSD. Inhibition of VTA glutamatergic neurons or the glutamatergic projection to ZI could both relieve fear generalization and anxiety. Together, our study proves the VTA - ZI glutamatergic circuit is involved in mediating fear generalization and anxiety, and provides a potential target for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":9302,"journal":{"name":"Brain Research Bulletin","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923024002132/pdfft?md5=1a3a27457bbf0fbde1b93b06854a7cca&pid=1-s2.0-S0361923024002132-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain Research Bulletin","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923024002132","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Generalized fear is a maladaptive behavior in which non-threatening stimuli elicit a fearful response. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has been demonstrated to play important roles in fear response and fear memory generalization, but the precious neural circuit mechanism is still unclear. Here, we demonstrated that VTA-zona incerta (ZI) glutamatergic projection is involved in regulating high-intensity threatening training induced generalization and anxiety. Combining calcium signal recording and chemogentics, our work reveals that VTA glutamatergic neurons respond to closed arm entering in the model of PTSD. Inhibition of VTA glutamatergic neurons or the glutamatergic projection to ZI could both relieve fear generalization and anxiety. Together, our study proves the VTA - ZI glutamatergic circuit is involved in mediating fear generalization and anxiety, and provides a potential target for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
期刊介绍:
The Brain Research Bulletin (BRB) aims to publish novel work that advances our knowledge of molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie neural network properties associated with behavior, cognition and other brain functions during neurodevelopment and in the adult. Although clinical research is out of the Journal''s scope, the BRB also aims to publish translation research that provides insight into biological mechanisms and processes associated with neurodegeneration mechanisms, neurological diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. The Journal is especially interested in research using novel methodologies, such as optogenetics, multielectrode array recordings and life imaging in wild-type and genetically-modified animal models, with the goal to advance our understanding of how neurons, glia and networks function in vivo.