Research News
Interhemispheric connectivity potentiates the basolateral amygdalae and regulates social interaction and memory
By Dr. Hsueh, Yi-Ping - October, 2019 Cell Reports 29:34-48Impaired interhemispheric connectivity is commonly found in various psychiatric disorders, though how interhemispheric connectivity regulates brain function remains elusive. Here, we use the mouse amygdala, a brain region critical for social interaction and fear memory, as a model to demonstrate that contralateral connectivity intensifies the synaptic response of basolateral amygdalae (BLA) and regulates amygdala-dependent behaviors. Retrograde tracing and C-FOS expression indicate that contralateral afferents widely innervate BLA non-randomly and that some BLA neurons innervate both contralateral BLA and ipsilateral central amygdala (CeA). Our optogenetic and electrophysiological studies further suggest that contralateral BLA input results in synaptic facilitation of BLA neurons, thereby intensifying the responses to cortical and thalamic stimulations. Finally, pharmacological inhibition and chemogenetic disconnection demonstrate that BLA contralateral facilitation is required for social interaction and memory. Our study suggests that interhemispheric connectivity potentiates synaptic dynamics of BLA neurons and is critical for full activation and functionality of amygdalae.
