Project description:Purpose: The goals of this study are to screen out the changes of gene expression profile in response to high fat diet, an mRNA-seq was performed in central amygdala Methods: 6-week-old male wild-type mice were fed with high fat diet (HFD, containing 45% fat) or normal chow diet (ND) for 5 months. And then their central amygdala tissues were removed and total RNA was extracted to perform RNA sequencing. Results:The KEGG pathway analysis showed that genes related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and calcium signaling pathway were dramatically upregulated after HFD Conclusions: Our study represents the first detailed analysis of central amygdalar transcriptomes of mice subjected to high fat diet, with biologic replicates, generated by RNA-seq technology. Our results show genes related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and calcium signaling pathway were dramatically upregulated after high fat diet feeding,which hint at the importance of ion channel in central amygdala after high fat feeding.
Project description:Pianp (also known as Leda-1) is a type I transmembrane protein with preferential expression in the mammalian central nervous system. We used microarrays to analyze the programme of gene expression in murine brain regions amygdala, cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus of Pianp deficient mice.
Project description:Circuit neuroscience has made great progress by linking neuronal function to marker gene expression, allowing the specific investigation of otherwise indistinguishable neuronal ensembles. Here, we performed next generation sequencing on two functionally and genetically distinct interneuronal populations marked by the expression of protein kinase C δ (PKCδ) or somatostatin (SST) in the central amygdala (CEA) of mice, which are known to play distinct and sometimes opposing roles in emotion processing. Making their gene expression profile known will aid in forming hypotheses of how different neurotransmitters or psychoactive drugs could alter information processing in these neurons.
Project description:Both the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) have been implicated in maladaptive anxiety characteristic of anxiety disorders. However, the underlying circuit and cellular mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we show that mice with Erbb4 gene deficiency in somatostatin-expressing (SOM+) neurons exhibit heightened anxiety as measured in the elevated plus maze test and the open field test, two assays commonly used to assess anxiety-related behaviors in rodents. Using a combination of electrophysiological, molecular, genetic and pharmacological techniques we demonstrate that the abnormal anxiety in the mutant mice is caused by enhanced excitatory synaptic inputs onto SOM+ neurons in the central amygdala (CeA), and the resulting reduction in inhibition onto downstream SOM+ neurons in the BNST. Notably, our results indicate that an increase in dynorphin signaling in SOM+ CeA neurons mediates the paradoxical reduction in inhibition onto SOM+ BNST neurons, and that the consequent enhanced activity of SOM+ BNST neurons is both necessary for and sufficient to drive the elevated anxiety. Finally, we show that the elevated anxiety and the associated synaptic dysfunctions and increased dynorphin signaling in the CeA-BNST circuit of the Erbb4 mutant mice can be recapitulated by stress in wild-type mice. Together, our results unravel previously unknown circuit and cellular processes in the central extended amygdala that can cause maladaptive anxiety.
Project description:In this study we aimed to uncover which mRNAs are changed in the Ago2-amygdala complex following chronic social defeat in mice We used microarrays to determine which mRNAs are changed in the Ago2-amygdala complexof mice following chronic social defeat compared to control
Project description:Genes that establish the circadian clock have differential expression with respect to solar time in central and peripheral tissues. Here, we find circadian-time-induced differential expression in a large number of genes not associated with circadian rhythms in two brain regions lacking overt circadian function: the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). These regions primarily engage in autonomic, homeostatic, and emotional regulation. However, we find striking diurnal shifts in gene expression in these regions of male Sprague Dawley rats with no obvious patterns that could be attributed to function or region. These findings have implications for the design of gene expression studies as well as for the potential effects of xenobiotics on these regions that regulate autonomic and emotional states. Micropunches of dorsal vagal complex (DVC) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) were collected from male, Sprague Dawley rats at three different times of the day. Animals were not experimentally different in any way except for the time of sacrifice and collction. Gene expression of 145 genes were measured with Fluidigm's Biomark 96.96 platform.
Project description:Inhibitory neurons are the predominant type of neuron in the mouse central amygdala. Here, we examined diversity in this cell type using single-cell RNA-seq.
Project description:Differential expression analysis of human central Amygdala samples with a story of opioid use disorder (OUD) vs. unaffected control central Amygdala samples