Zhao Huiying, Liu Jinrong, Shao Yujin, Feng Xiang, Zhao Binhan, Sun Li, Liu Yijun, Zeng Linghui, Li Xiao-Ming, Yang Hongbin, Duan Shumin, Yu Yan-Qin
Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 311100, China.
Natl Sci Rev. 2024 Mar 5;11(4):nwae082. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwae082. eCollection 2024 Apr.
The nucleus of Darkschewitsch (ND), mainly composed of GABAergic neurons, is widely recognized as a component of the eye-movement controlling system. However, the functional contribution of ND GABAergic neurons (ND) in animal behavior is largely unknown. Here, we show that ND neurons were selectively activated by different types of fear stimuli, such as predator odor and foot shock. Optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations revealed that ND neurons mediate freezing behavior. Moreover, using circuit-based optogenetic and neuroanatomical tracing methods, we identified an excitatory pathway from the lateral periaqueductal gray (lPAG) to the ND that induces freezing by exciting ND inhibitory outputs to the motor-related gigantocellular reticular nucleus, ventral part (GiV). Together, these findings indicate the ND population as a novel hub for controlling defensive response by relaying fearful information from the lPAG to GiV, a mechanism critical for understanding how the freezing behavior is encoded in the mammalian brain.
达克施维奇核（ND）主要由γ-氨基丁酸能神经元组成，被广泛认为是眼球运动控制系统的一个组成部分。然而，NDγ-氨基丁酸能神经元（ND）在动物行为中的功能作用在很大程度上尚不清楚。在这里，我们表明ND神经元被不同类型的恐惧刺激选择性激活，如捕食者气味和足部电击。光遗传学和化学遗传学操作表明，ND神经元介导僵住行为。此外，使用基于回路的光遗传学和神经解剖学追踪方法，我们确定了一条从外侧导水管周围灰质（lPAG）到ND的兴奋性通路，该通路通过兴奋ND对运动相关巨细胞网状核腹侧部（GiV）的抑制性输出而诱发僵住行为。总之，这些发现表明ND群体是通过将来自lPAG的恐惧信息传递给GiV来控制防御反应的一个新枢纽，这一机制对于理解僵住行为在哺乳动物大脑中是如何编码的至关重要。
