Dorsal periaqueductal gray ensembles represent approach and avoidance states

eLife

Alexandre Hiroaki Kihara¹  Juliane M Ikebara¹  Newton S Canteras²  Johannes Y Lee³  Jinhan Liu³  Jonathan C Kao³  Sandra Maesta-Pereira⁴  Peter J Schuette⁴  Mimi Q La-Vu⁴  Fernando MCV Reis⁴  Meghmik Chakerian⁴  Avishek Adhikari⁴  Brooke C Tobias⁴ 

[1] Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil;Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil;Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States;Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States;

关键词: periaqueductal gray;    behavioral states;    calcium imaging;    fear;    predator;    elevated plus maze;    Mouse;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.64934

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Animals must balance needs to approach threats for risk assessment and to avoid danger. The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) controls defensive behaviors, but it is unknown how it represents states associated with threat approach and avoidance. We identified a dPAG threatavoidance ensemble in mice that showed higher activity farther from threats such as the open arms of the elevated plus maze and a predator. These cells were also more active during threat avoidance behaviors such as escape and freezing, even though these behaviors have antagonistic motor output. Conversely, the threat approach ensemble was more active during risk assessment behaviors and near threats. Furthermore, unsupervised methods showed that avoidance/approach states were encoded with shared activity patterns across threats. Lastly, the relative number of cells in each ensemble predicted threat avoidance across mice. Thus, dPAG ensembles dynamically encode threat approach and avoidance states, providing a flexible mechanism to balance risk assessment and danger avoidance.

【 授权许可】

CC BY