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Distinct Hippocampal Pathways Mediate Dissociable Roles of Context in Memory Retrieval.

ABSTRACT: Memories about sensory experiences are tightly linked to the context in which they were formed. Memory contextualization is fundamental for the selection of appropriate behavioral reactions needed for survival, yet the underlying neuronal circuits are poorly understood. By combining trans-synaptic viral tracing and optogenetic manipulation, we found that the ventral hippocampus (vHC) and the amygdala, two key brain structures encoding context and emotional experiences, interact via multiple parallel pathways. A projection from the vHC to the basal amygdala mediates fear behavior elicited by a conditioned context, whereas a parallel projection from a distinct subset of vHC neurons onto midbrain-projecting neurons in the central amygdala is necessary for context-dependent retrieval of cued fear memories. Our findings demonstrate that two fundamentally distinct roles of context in fear memory retrieval are processed by distinct vHC output pathways, thereby allowing for the formation of robust contextual fear memories while preserving context-dependent behavioral flexibility.

SUBMITTER: Xu C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5382990 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Distinct Hippocampal Pathways Mediate Dissociable Roles of Context in Memory Retrieval.

Xu Chun C Krabbe Sabine S Gründemann Jan J Botta Paolo P Fadok Jonathan P JP Osakada Fumitaka F Saur Dieter D Grewe Benjamin F BF Schnitzer Mark J MJ Callaway Edward M EM Lüthi Andreas A

Cell 20161020 4

Memories about sensory experiences are tightly linked to the context in which they were formed. Memory contextualization is fundamental for the selection of appropriate behavioral reactions needed for survival, yet the underlying neuronal circuits are poorly understood. By combining trans-synaptic viral tracing and optogenetic manipulation, we found that the ventral hippocampus (vHC) and the amygdala, two key brain structures encoding context and emotional experiences, interact via multiple para ...[more]

PMID: 27773481

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Project description:Stressful life events induce abnormalities in emotional and cognitive behaviour. The endogenous opioid system plays an essential role in stress adaptation and coping strategies. In particular, the µ-opioid receptor (?R), one of the major opioid receptors, strongly influences memory processing in that alterations in ?R signalling are associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, it remains unclear whether ?R signalling contributes to memory impairments induced by acute stress. Here, we utilized pharmacological methods and cell-type-selective/non-cell-type-selective ?R depletion approaches combined with behavioural tests, biochemical analyses, and in vitro electrophysiological recordings to investigate the role of hippocampal ?R signalling in memory-retrieval impairment induced by acute elevated platform (EP) stress in mice. Biochemical and molecular analyses revealed that hippocampal ?Rs were significantly activated during acute stress. Blockage of hippocampal ?Rs, non-selective deletion of ?Rs or selective deletion of ?Rs on GABAergic neurons (?RGABA) reversed EP-stress-induced impairment of memory retrieval, with no effect on the elevation of serum corticosterone after stress. Electrophysiological results demonstrated that stress depressed hippocampal GABAergic synaptic transmission to CA1 pyramidal neurons, thereby leading to excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance in a ?RGABA-dependent manner. Pharmaceutically enhancing hippocampal GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory currents in stressed mice restored their memory retrieval, whereas inhibiting those currents in the unstressed mice mimicked the stress-induced impairment of memory retrieval. Our findings reveal a novel pathway in which endogenous opioids recruited by acute stress predominantly activate ?RGABA to depress GABAergic inhibitory effects on CA1 pyramidal neurons, which subsequently alters the E/I balance in the hippocampus and results in impairment of memory retrieval.

Dataset Information

Distinct Hippocampal Pathways Mediate Dissociable Roles of Context in Memory Retrieval.

Publications

Distinct Hippocampal Pathways Mediate Dissociable Roles of Context in Memory Retrieval.

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