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A dendritic organization of lateral amygdala neurons in fear susceptible and resistant mice
Citation
Castro-Gomes, V and Bergstrom, HC and McGuire, JL and Parker, CC and Coyner, J and Landeira-Fernandez, J and Ursano, RJ and Palmer, AA and Johnson, LR, A dendritic organization of lateral amygdala neurons in fear susceptible and resistant mice, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 127 pp. 64-71. ISSN 1074-7427 (2016) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2015.11.010
Abstract
Subtle differences in neuronal microanatomy may be coded in individuals with genetic susceptibility for neuropsychiatric disorders. Genetic susceptibility is a significant risk factor in the development of anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Pavlovian fear conditioning has been proposed to model key aspects of PTSD. According to this theory, PTSD begins with the formation of a traumatic memory which connects relevant environmental stimuli to significant threats to life. The lateral amygdala (LA) is considered to be a key network hub for the establishment of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Substantial research has also linked the LA to PTSD. Here we used a genetic mouse model of fear susceptibility (F-S) and resistance (F-R) to investigate the dendritic and spine structure of principal neurons located in the LA. F-S and F-R lines were bi-directionally selected based on divergent levels of contextual and cued conditioned freezing in response to fear-evoking footshocks. We examined LA principal neuron dendritic and spine morphology in the offspring of experimentally naive F-S and F-R mice. We found differences in the spatial distribution of dendritic branch points across the length of the dendrite tree, with a significant increase in branch points at more distal locations in the F-S compared with F-R line. These results suggest a genetic predisposition toward differences in fear memory strength associated with a dendritic branch point organization of principal neurons in the LA. These micro-anatomical differences in neuron structure in a genetic mouse model of fear susceptibility and resistance provide important insights into the cellular mechanisms of pathophysiology underlying genetic predispositions to anxiety and PTSD.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | memory, PTSD, Amygdala |
| Research Division: | Biomedical and Clinical Sciences |
| Research Group: | Neurosciences |
| Research Field: | Cellular nervous system |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
| Objective Field: | Mental health |
| UTAS Author: | Johnson, LR (Associate Professor Luke Johnson) |
| ID Code: | 145121 |
| Year Published: | 2016 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 7 |
| Deposited By: | Psychology |
| Deposited On: | 2021-07-02 |
| Last Modified: | 2021-08-27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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