A pathway-specific function for different AMPA receptor subunits in amygdala long-term potentiation and fear conditioning

作者：Humeau Yann; Reisel Daniel; Johnson Alexander W; Borchardt Thilo; Jensen Vidar; Gebhardt Christine; Bosch Verena; Gass Peter; Bannerman David M; Good Mark A; Hvalby Oivind; Sprengel Rolf; Luethi Andreas

来源：Journal of Neuroscience, 2007, 27(41): 10947-10956.

DOI：10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2603-07.2007

• lateral amygdala
• basal amygdala
• fear conditioning
• synaptic transmission
• LTP
• GluR1
• GluR3

The AMPA receptor subunit glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1 or GluR-A) contributes to amygdala-dependent emotional learning. It remains unclear, however, to what extent different amygdala pathways depend on GluR1, or other AMPA receptor subunits, for proper synaptic transmission and plasticity, and whether GluR1-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) is necessary for auditory and contextual fear conditioning. Here, we dissected the role of GluR1 and GluR3 (GluR-C) subunits in AMPA receptor-dependent amygdala LTP and fear conditioning using knock-out mice (GluR1(-/-) and GluR3(-/-)). We found that, whereas LTP at thalamic inputs to lateral amygdala (LA) projection neurons and at glutamatergic synapses in the basal amygdala was completely absent in GluR1(-/-) mice, both GluR1 and GluR3 contributed to LTP in the cortico-LA pathway. Because both auditory and contextual fear conditioning were selectively impaired in GluR1(-/-) but not GluR3(-/-) mice, we conclude that GluR1-dependent synaptic plasticity is the dominant form of LTP underlying the acquisition of auditory and contextual fear conditioning, and that plasticity in distinct amygdala pathways differentially contributes to aversive conditioning.

• 出版日期2007-10-10
• 单位河北医科大学; 上海市精神卫生中心