Medial preoptic area antagonistically mediates stress-induced anxiety and parental behavior.

ABSTRACT: Anxiety is a negative emotional state that is overly displayed in anxiety disorders and depression. Although anxiety is known to be controlled by distributed brain networks, key components for its initiation, maintenance and coordination with behavioral state remain poorly understood. Here, we report that anxiogenic stressors elicit acute and prolonged responses in glutamatergic neurons of the mouse medial preoptic area (mPOA). These neurons encode extremely negative valence and mediate the induction and expression of anxiety-like behaviors. Conversely, mPOA GABA-containing neurons encode positive valence and produce anxiolytic effects. Such opposing roles are mediated by competing local interactions and long-range projections of neurons to the periaqueductal gray. The two neuronal populat

SUBMITTER: Zhang GW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8328037 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature