Aversive stimuli drive hypothalamus-to-habenula excitation to promote escape behavior.
Details
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: Not specified
Serval ID
serval:BIB_C0F4A680320F
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Aversive stimuli drive hypothalamus-to-habenula excitation to promote escape behavior.
Journal
eLife
ISSN
2050-084X (Electronic)
ISSN-L
2050-084X
Publication state
Published
Issued date
05/09/2017
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
6
Pages
1-16
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: epublish
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
A sudden aversive event produces escape behaviors, an innate response essential for survival in virtually all-animal species. Nuclei including the lateral habenula (LHb), the lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the midbrain are not only reciprocally connected, but also respond to negative events contributing to goal-directed behaviors. However, whether aversion encoding requires these neural circuits to ultimately prompt escape behaviors remains unclear. We observe that aversive stimuli, including foot-shocks, excite LHb neurons and promote escape behaviors in mice. The foot-shock-driven excitation within the LHb requires glutamatergic signaling from the LH, but not from the midbrain. This hypothalamic excitatory projection predominates over LHb neurons monosynaptically innervating aversion-encoding midbrain GABA cells. Finally, the selective chemogenetic silencing of the LH-to-LHb pathway impairs aversion-driven escape behaviors. These findings unveil a habenular neurocircuitry devoted to encode external threats and the consequent escape; a process that, if disrupted, may compromise the animal's survival.
Keywords
Action Potentials, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Electroencephalography, Escape Reaction, Habenula/physiology, Hypothalamus/physiology, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neural Pathways, aversion, habenula, in vivo physiology, mouse, neuroscience
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
21/09/2017 11:04
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:35