Year: 2016
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is important for anxiety behavior and its activity is associated with increased anxiety. However, how individual BNST neurons encode anxiogenic stimuli is unclear. Here, we employed in vivo calcium imaging and optogenetics in freely behaving mice and examined the neuronal encoding of anxiety in the BNST. First, we expressed a calcium indicator, GCaMP6s, in CaMKii-expressing BNST neurons. We implanted a microendoscope above the BNST and interfaced it with a miniaturized fluorescence microscope. These mice were exposed to the elevated plus maze (EPM), in which they spent more time in closed arms than open arms. Some BNST neurons preferentially increased their activity in open arms, and others preferentially increase their activity in closed arms, suggesting that neurons encoding anxiogenic and anxiolytic stimuli are both present within BNST. Second, we tested whether prepronociceptin (PNOC)-expressing BNST neurons respond to either anxiogenic or anxiolytic stimuli. PNOC is a precursor for Nociceptin/orphanin FQ and is highly expressed in a subset of BNST neurons. We expressed GCaMP6s in BNST PNOC neurons. PNOC neurons were activated in open arms but not in closed arms, suggesting that they only encode anxiogenic stimuli. Third, we explored the functional role of BNST PNOC neurons. We expressed channelrhodopsin-2 in BNST PNOC neurons and implanted optical fibers above the BNST. Photoactivation of PNOC neurons decreased the time spent in open arms and the open arm entries in the EPM. In addition, we targeted halorhodopsin to BNST PNOC neurons. Photoinhibition of PNOC neurons increased the time spent in open arms and the open arm entries within the EPM. These demonstrate that PNOC neurons are sufficient and necessary for anxiety-like behavior. These results suggest that BNST includes both neurons encoding anxiogenic and anxiolytic stimuli and that BNST PNOC neurons encode anxiogenic stimuli and promote anxiety-like behavior.
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,693
OpenAlex ID: W2910844257