Long-Term Characterization of Hippocampal Remapping during Contextual Fear Acquisition and Extinction

Author(s):Show less -

Schuette, Peter J. ^[1] ; Reis, V, Fernando M. C. ; Maesta-Pereira, Sandra ^[2] ; Chakerian, Meghmik ^[2] ; Torossian, Anita ^[2] ; Blair, Garrett J. ^[2] ; Wang, Weisheng ^[2] ; Blair, Hugh T. ^[2] ; Fanselow, Michael S. ^[2] ; Kao, Jonathan C. ^[3] ; Adhikari, Avishek ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Psychol, Los Angeles, CA 90095 - USA

^[2] Reis, Fernando M. C., V, Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Psychol, Los Angeles, CA 90095 - USA

^[3] Univ Calif Los Angeles, Dept Elect & Comp Engn, Los Angeles, CA 90095 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE; v. 40, n. 43, p. 8329-8342, OCT 21 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Hippocampal CA1 place cell spatial maps are known to alter their firing properties in response to contextual fear conditioning, a process called ``remapping.{''} In the present study, we use chronic calcium imaging to examine remapping during fear retrieval and extinction of an inhibitory avoidance task in mice of both sexes over an extended period of time and with thousands of neurons. We demonstrate that hippocampal ensembles encode space at a finer scale following fear memory acquisition. This effect is strongest near the shock grid. We also characterize the long-term effects of shock on place cell ensemble stability, demonstrating that shock delivery induces several days of high fear and low between-session place field stability, followed by a new, stable spatial representation that appears after fear extinction. Finally, we identify a novel group of CA1 neurons that robustly encode freeze behavior independently from spatial location. Thus, following fear acquisition, hippocampal CA1 place cells sharpen their spatial tuning and dynamically change spatial encoding stability throughout fear learning and extinction. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/05432-9 - Neural bases of fear and aggression
• Grantee: Newton Sabino Canteras
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/08668-1 - In vivo study of GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal populations of the periaqueductal gray matter in response to different kinds of threat
• Grantee: Fernando Midea Cuccovia Vasconcelos Reis
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• FAPESP's process: 15/23092-3 - Signaling pathways involved in fear memory to predatory threats
• Grantee: Fernando Midea Cuccovia Vasconcelos Reis
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate