Blockade of Stimulus Convergence in Amygdala Neurons Disrupts Taste Associative Learning
Author(s)
Hashikawa, K.; Naka, Masamitsu; Nakayama, D.; Matsumoto, N.; Matsuki, N.; Neve, Rachael L.; ... Show more Show less
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Humans and non-human animals learn associations of temporally contingent stimuli to better cope with the changing environment. In animal models of classical conditioning, a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) predicts an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). Several lines of indirect evidence indicate that this learning may rely on stimulus convergence in a subset of neurons, but this hypothesis has not been directly tested. In the current study, we tested this hypothesis using a pharmacogenetic approach, the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)/Allatostatin Receptor system, to target a subset of amygdala neurons receiving convergent stimuli in mice during conditioned taste aversion. Virally infected basolateral amygdala neurons with higher CREB levels were predominantly active during CS presentation. Blocking stimulus convergence in infected neurons by silencing them during US disrupted taste associative memory. Moreover, silencing infected neurons only during CS also disrupted associative memory formation. These results provide support for the notion that convergent inputs of CS and US in a subpopulation of neurons are critical for associative memory formation.
Date issued
2013-03Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Picower Institute for Learning and MemoryJournal
Journal of Neuroscience
Publisher
Society for Neuroscience
Citation
Hashikawa, K., M. Naka, D. Nakayama, N. Matsumoto, R. Neve, and N. Matsuki. “Blockade of Stimulus Convergence in Amygdala Neurons Disrupts Taste Associative Learning.” Journal of Neuroscience 33, no. 11 (March 13, 2013): 4958-4963.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0270-6474
1529-2401