A Subpopulation of Prefrontal Cortical Neurons Is Required for Social Memory.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is essential for social behaviors, yet whether and how it encodes social memory remains unclear.

Methods

We combined whole-cell patch recording, morphological analysis, optogenetic/chemogenetic manipulation, and the TRAP (targeted recombination in active populations) transgenic mouse tool to study the social-associated neural populations in the mPFC.

Results

Fos-TRAPed prefrontal social-associated neurons are excitatory pyramidal neurons with relatively small soma sizes and thin-tufted apical dendrite. These cells exhibit intrinsic firing features of dopamine D₁ receptor-like neurons, show persisting firing pattern after social investigation, and project dense axons to nucleus accumbens. In behaving TRAP mice,

SUBMITTER: Xing B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7867585 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature