Investigation of the proteomic profile of subicular cells of the subicular-hypothalamus pathway in contextual defense responses to aversive and predatory physical stimuli.

• Grant number: 24/12993-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy
• Principal Investigator: Newton Sabino Canteras
• Grantee: Sarah Stephanie Maurício de Abreu
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The hippocampus has been implicated in-memory processing, spatial navigation, and emotional responses. The Subiculum (SUB) represents one of the "endpoints" of the "trisynaptic circuit" and one of the primary sources of "extrinsic" hippocampal projections. The ventral SUB, in particular, receives information regarding contextual threats from the basolateral amygdala and, on the other hand, projects to the hypothalamus, providing dense innervation to specific hypothalamic sites-the ventral SUB harbors plastic events underlying fear memory storage related to predators and aversive physical events. In the present study, we will perform a quantitative proteomic evaluation of the ventral SUB cells that project to the hypothalamus after responses to the predatory and shock-associated contexts to determine a possible differential remodeling of protein networks. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying aversive memory and whether there is compartmentalization for various threats is fundamental to understanding how fear memory is formed in normal and pathological situations.