Delineation of an insula-BNST circuit engaged by struggling behavior that regulates avoidance in mice

Joseph R. Luchsinger, Tracy L. Fetterly, Kellie M. Williford, Gregory J. Salimando, Marie A. Doyle, Jose Maldonado, Richard B. Simerly (), Danny G. Winder () and Samuel W. Centanni ()
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Joseph R. Luchsinger: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Tracy L. Fetterly: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Kellie M. Williford: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Gregory J. Salimando: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Marie A. Doyle: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Jose Maldonado: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Richard B. Simerly: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Danny G. Winder: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Samuel W. Centanni: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Active responses to stressors involve motor planning, execution, and feedback. Here we identify an insular cortex to BNST (insula→BNST) circuit recruited during restraint stress-induced active struggling that modulates affective behavior. We demonstrate that activity in this circuit tightly follows struggling behavioral events and that the size of the fluorescent sensor transient reports the duration of the struggle event, an effect that fades with repeated exposure to the homotypic stressor. Struggle events are associated with enhanced glutamatergic- and decreased GABAergic signaling in the insular cortex, indicating the involvement of a larger circuit. We delineate the afferent network for this pathway, identifying substantial input from motor- and premotor cortex, somatosensory cortex, and the amygdala. To begin to dissect these incoming signals, we examine the motor cortex input, and show that the cells projecting from motor regions to insular cortex are engaged shortly before struggle event onset. This study thus demonstrates a role for the insula→BNST pathway in monitoring struggling activity and regulating affective behavior.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23674-z

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