Increased GABAergic Efficacy of Central Amygdala Projections to Neuropeptide S Neurons in the Brainstem During Fear Memory Retrieval.

ABSTRACT: The canonical view on the central amygdala has evolved from a simple output station towards a highly organized microcircuitry, in which types of GABAergic neurons in centrolateral (CeL) and centromedial (CeM) subnuclei regulate fear expression and generalization. How these specific neuronal populations are connected to extra-amygdaloid target regions remains largely unknown. Here we show in mice that a subpopulation of GABAergic CeL and CeM neurons projects monosynaptically to brainstem neurons expressing neuropeptide S (NPS). The CeL neurons are PKCδ-negative and are activated during conditioned fear. During fear memory retrieval, the efficacy of this GABAergic influence on NPS neurons is enhanced. Moreover, a large proportion of these neurons (~50%) contain prodynorphin and somatostatin,

SUBMITTER: Jungling K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4864651 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature