Artikel,
Visualizing stimulus convergence in amygdala neurons during associative learning
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105 (52): 20959--20963 (30.12.2008)
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0808996106
Zusammenfassung
10.1073/pnas.0808996106 A central feature of models of associative memory formation is the reliance on information convergence from pathways responsive to the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US). In particular, cells receiving coincident input are held to be critical for subsequent plasticity. Yet identification of neurons in the mammalian brain that respond to such coincident inputs during a learning event remains elusive. Here we use ellular compartmental nalysis of emporal gene transcription by luorescence n itu ybridization (catFISH) to locate populations of neurons in the mammalian brain that respond to both the CS and US during training in a one-trial learning task, conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Individual neurons in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) responded to both the CS taste and US drug during conditioning. Coincident activation was not evident, however, when stimulus exposure was altered so as to be ineffective in promoting learning (backward conditioning, latent inhibition). Together, these data provide clear visualization of neurons in the mammalian brain receiving convergent information about the CS and US during acquisition of a learned association.
