Open AccessInhibitory gain modulation of defense behaviors by zona incerta
Author(s) -
Xiao-lin Chou,
Xiyue Wang,
Zhenggang Zhang,
Li Shen,
Brian Zingg,
Junxiang Huang,
Wen Zhong,
Lukas Mesik,
Li I. Zhang,
Huizhong W. Tao
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
nature communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.559
H-Index - 365
ISSN - 2041-1723
DOI - 10.1038/s41467-018-03581-6
Subject(s) - zona incerta , optogenetics , neuroscience , gabaergic , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , prefrontal cortex , periaqueductal gray , extinction (optical mineralogy) , excitatory postsynaptic potential , glutamatergic , chemistry , psychology , hypothalamus , glutamate receptor , central nervous system , midbrain , biochemistry , mineralogy , cognition , receptor
Zona incerta (ZI) is a functionally mysterious subthalamic nucleus containing mostly inhibitory neurons. Here, we discover that GABAergic neurons in the rostral sector of ZI (ZIr) directly innervate excitatory but not inhibitory neurons in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral compartments of periaqueductal gray (PAG), which can drive flight and freezing behaviors respectively. Optogenetic activation of ZIr neurons or their projections to PAG reduces both sound-induced innate flight response and conditioned freezing response, while optogenetic suppression of these neurons enhances these defensive behaviors, likely through a mechanism of gain modulation. ZIr activity progressively increases during extinction of conditioned freezing response, and suppressing ZIr activity impairs the expression of fear extinction. Furthermore, ZIr is innervated by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and silencing mPFC prevents the increase of ZIr activity during extinction and the expression of fear extinction. Together, our results suggest that ZIr is engaged in modulating defense behaviors.