Cited by 126Memory and Neural MechanismsNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Genetically identified amygdala–striatal circuits for valence-specific behaviors

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Zhang, Xian, Guan, Wuqiang, Yang, Tao, Furlan, Alessandro, Xiao, Xiong, Yu, Kai, An, Xu, Galbavy, William +7 more·2021·Nature Neuroscience

Abstract

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays essential roles in behaviors motivated by stimuli with either positive or negative valence, but how it processes motivationally opposing information and participates in establishing valence-specific behaviors remains unclear. Here, by targeting Fezf2-expressing neurons in the BLA, we identify and characterize two functionally distinct classes in behaving mice, the negative-valence neurons and positive-valence neurons, which innately represent aversive and rewarding stimuli, respectively, and through learning acquire predictive responses that are essential for punishment avoidance or reward seeking. Notably, these two classes of neurons receive inputs from separate sets of sensory and limbic areas, and convey punishment and reward information through projections to the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle, respectively, to drive negative and positive reinforcement. Thus, valence-specific BLA neurons are wired with distinctive input-output structures, forming a circuit framework that supports the roles of the BLA in encoding, learning and executing valence-specific motivated behaviors.

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Authors
Zhang, X., Guan, W., Yang, T., Furlan, A., Xiao, X., Yu, K., An, X., Galbavy, W., Ramakrishnan, C., Deisseroth, K., Ritola, K., Hantman, A., He, M., Josh Huang, Z., & Li, B.
Affiliations
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (US)
  • Duke University (US)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • Fudan University (CN)
Corresponding author
  • Zhang, Xian
  • Li, Bo
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Published
2021-10-18
Volume
24
Issue
11
Pages
1586-1600
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
OpenAlex
W3206682102
Cited by
126
References
67
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 3
FWCI
10.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Institutional Repository (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (submittedVersion)
  • Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (R01MH101214, R01MH108924, R01NS104944)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
basolateral amygdala, Fezf2, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, punishment avoidance, reward seeking, neural circuits, motivated behavior
MeSH terms
Amygdala, Animals, Attention, Avoidance Learning, Corpus Striatum, DNA-Binding Proteins, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Motivation, Nerve Net, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Mice

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