Amygdala EphB2 Signaling Regulates Glutamatergic Neuron Maturation and Innate Fear.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

The amygdala serves as emotional center to mediate innate fear behaviors that are reflected through neuronal responses to environmental aversive cues. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the initial neuron responses is poorly understood. In this study, we monitored the innate defensive responses to aversive stimuli of either elevated plus maze or predator odor in juvenile mice and found that glutamatergic neurons were activated in amygdala. Loss of EphB2, a receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in amygdala neurons, suppressed the reactions and led to defects in spine morphogenesis and fear behaviors. We further found a coupling of spinogenesis with these threat cues induced neuron activation in developing amygdala that was controlled by EphB2. A constitutively activ

SUBMITTER: Zhu XN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5039259 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature