Posterior basolateral amygdala to ventral hippocampal CA1 drives approach behaviour to exert an anxiolytic effect

Guilin Pi, Di Gao, Dongqin Wu, Yali Wang, Huiyang Lei, Wenbo Zeng, Yang Gao, Huiling Yu, Rui Xiong, Tao Jiang, Shihong Li, Xin Wang, Jing Guo, Si Zhang, Taoyuan Yin, Ting He, Dan Ke, Ruining Li, Honglian Li, Gongping Liu, Xifei Yang, Min–Hua Luo, Xiaohui Zhang, Ying Yang () and Jian–Zhi Wang ()
Additional contact information
Guilin Pi: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Di Gao: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Dongqin Wu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Yali Wang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Huiyang Lei: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wenbo Zeng: State Key Laboratory of Virology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yang Gao: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Huiling Yu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Rui Xiong: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Tao Jiang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Shihong Li: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Xin Wang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Jing Guo: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Si Zhang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Taoyuan Yin: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Ting He: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Dan Ke: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Ruining Li: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Honglian Li: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Gongping Liu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Xifei Yang: Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Min–Hua Luo: State Key Laboratory of Virology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaohui Zhang: Beijing Normal University
Ying Yang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Jian–Zhi Wang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) are cellularly and functionally diverse along their anterior–posterior and superficial-deep axes. Here, we find that anterior BLA (aBLA) and posterior BLA (pBLA) innervate deep-layer calbindin1-negative (Calb1−) and superficial-layer calbindin1-positive neurons (Calb1+) in vCA1, respectively. Photostimulation of pBLA–vCA1 inputs has an anxiolytic effect in mice, promoting approach behaviours during conflict exploratory tasks. By contrast, stimulating aBLA–vCA1 inputs induces anxiety-like behaviour resulting in fewer approaches. During conflict stages of the elevated plus maze task vCA1Calb1+ neurons are preferentially activated at the open-to-closed arm transition, and photostimulation of vCA1Calb1+ neurons at decision-making zones promotes approach with fewer retreats. In the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, which shows anxiety-like behaviour, photostimulating the pBLA–vCA1Calb1+ circuit ameliorates the anxiety in a Calb1-dependent manner. These findings suggest the pBLA–vCA1Calb1+ circuit from heterogeneous BLA–vCA1 connections drives approach behaviour to reduce anxiety-like behaviour.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13919-3

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