1. Dissecting the Roles of GABA and Neuropeptides from Rat Central Amygdala CRF Neurons in Anxiety and Fear Learning.
- Author
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Pomrenze MB, Giovanetti SM, Maiya R, Gordon AG, Kreeger LJ, and Messing RO
- Subjects
- Animals, Dynorphins metabolism, Learning physiology, Male, Neurotensin metabolism, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Anxiety metabolism, Central Amygdaloid Nucleus metabolism, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone metabolism, Fear physiology, Neurons metabolism, Neuropeptides metabolism, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid metabolism
- Abstract
Central amygdala (CeA) neurons that produce corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) regulate anxiety and fear learning. These CeA
CRF neurons release GABA and several neuropeptides predicted to play important yet opposing roles in these behaviors. We dissected the relative roles of GABA, CRF, dynorphin, and neurotensin in CeACRF neurons in anxiety and fear learning by disrupting their expression using RNAi in male rats. GABA, but not CRF, dynorphin, or neurotensin, regulates baseline anxiety-like behavior. In contrast, chemogenetic stimulation of CeACRF neurons evokes anxiety-like behavior dependent on CRF and dynorphin, but not neurotensin. Finally, knockdown of CRF and dynorphin impairs fear learning, whereas knockdown of neurotensin enhances it. Our results demonstrate distinct behavioral roles for GABA, CRF, dynorphin, and neurotensin in a subpopulation of CeA neurons. These results highlight the importance of considering the repertoire of signaling molecules released from a given neuronal population when studying the circuit basis of behavior., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2019
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