2007年10月31日,，北京生命科學(xué)研究所羅敏敏實驗室在Journal of Neurophysiology雜志上發(fā)表了題為“Cortical-Like Functional Organization of the Pheromone-Processing Circuits in the Medial Amygdala”的文章,。該文章揭示了內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核處理信息素信息的基本神經(jīng)環(huán)路。
信息素（pheromone）可以調(diào)節(jié)動物的社會行為和生殖行為,，在處理信息素信號的神經(jīng)通路中，內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核處于核心位置,。目前為止,，內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核處理信號的細(xì)胞機(jī)制尚未被闡明。曾經(jīng)有學(xué)者提出內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核采用類似紋狀體的神經(jīng)環(huán)路,。紋狀體向其目標(biāo)區(qū)域提供抑制性投射,，投射神經(jīng)元呈星型，有延遲放電等獨(dú)特的生理特性,。在此一研究中,，羅敏敏實驗室的卞希玲運(yùn)用多種手段檢驗內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核的細(xì)胞是否具備紋狀體細(xì)胞的特性。
羅敏敏實驗室用神經(jīng)示蹤技術(shù),，遺傳標(biāo)記GABA能神經(jīng)元的方法,，以及對谷氨酸能的突觸進(jìn)行免疫組化的辦法，證明內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核對下丘腦腹內(nèi)核主要提供興奮性輸出,。全細(xì)胞膜片鉗記錄的結(jié)果顯示：投射到腹內(nèi)核的神經(jīng)元在細(xì)胞形態(tài)和內(nèi)在特性方面形成均一的群體。幾乎所有的神經(jīng)元都有H電流和T電流,，這些神經(jīng)元的樹突會延伸至內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核的外層來,，以接受上一級感覺皮層的直接的興奮性輸入。它們還接受局部GABA能的神經(jīng)元的抑制性輸入,。這些結(jié)果表明：內(nèi)側(cè)杏仁核通過獨(dú)特的皮層環(huán)路,，而不是采用紋狀體環(huán)路來處理信息素信息。本工作對處理信息素的神經(jīng)環(huán)路提供了重要數(shù)據(jù),。
博士生卞希玲為本文第一作者,，論文的其他作者還有日本群馬大學(xué)的Yuchio Yanagawa和耶魯大學(xué)的陳偉博士，羅敏敏博士為本文通訊作者,。此項研究由中國科技部, 北京市政府,，中國自然科學(xué)基金, 人類前沿科學(xué)計劃等資助，在北京生命科學(xué)研究所完成,。（援引：北京生命科學(xué)研究所）
原始出處:
J Neurophysiol (October 31, 2007). doi:10.1152/jn.00902.2007
Submitted on August 13, 2007
Accepted on October 25, 2007
Cortical-like Functional Organization of the Pheromone-processing Circuits in the Medial Amygdala
Xiling Bian1, Yuchio Yanagawa2, Wei R Chen3, and Minmin Luo4*
1 Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , Beijing, China; NIBS, Beijing , Beijing, China
2 Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine and SORST, Maebashi , Japan
3 Department of Neurobiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
4 NIBS, Beijing , Beijing, China
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] .
The medial amygdala (MeA) is a critical center for processing pheromonal signals that regulate social and reproductive behaviors, but the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying signal processing in the MeA have remained largely unknown. Some studies suggest that the MeA belongs to the striatum and provides inhibitory output to hypothalamic areas including the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). By combining tract tracing, genetic labeling of GABAergic neurons, and immunostaining against markers for glutamatergic synapses, we found that a majority of MeA neurons projecting to the VMH are glutamatergic. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings revealed that VMH-projecting neurons form a homogeneous population in terms of morphological and intrinsic properties. Nearly all cells possess Ih and IT and in some cases they can give rise to post-inhibitory rebound spikes. Morphological analysis of neurobiotin filled cells revealed neurons with long dendritic arbors that extend to the MeA external layer and within the amygdala. Thus, the VMH-projecting neurons in the MeA differ from the medium spiny neurons, the principal neurons of striatum, in terms of intrinsic physiological properties and morphology. In contrast, they resemble a subset of pyramidal cells in deep piriform cortex. Similar to pyramidal cells in piriform cortex, the VMH-projecting neurons in the MeA received direct excitatory input from their upstream sensory areas and inhibitory input from local GABAergic neurons. We conclude that pheromonal signals relayed to the VMH are processed by unique cortical, but not striatal, circuitry in the MeA.
