| First Author | Marcus DJ | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Neuron | Volume | 105 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 1062-1076.e6 |
| PubMed ID | 31948734 | Mgi Jnum | J:307907 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6726919 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.024 |
| Citation | Marcus DJ, et al. (2020) Endocannabinoid Signaling Collapse Mediates Stress-Induced Amygdalo-Cortical Strengthening. Neuron 105(6):1062-1076.e6 |
| abstractText | Functional coupling between the amygdala and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) has been implicated in the generation of negative affective states; however, the mechanisms by which stress increases amygdala-dmPFC synaptic strength and generates anxiety-like behaviors are not well understood. Here, we show that the mouse basolateral amygdala (BLA)-prelimbic prefrontal cortex (plPFC) circuit is engaged by stress and activation of this pathway in anxiogenic. Furthermore, we demonstrate that acute stress exposure leads to a lasting increase in synaptic strength within a reciprocal BLA-plPFC-BLA subcircuit. Importantly, we identify 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)-mediated endocannabinoid signaling as a key mechanism limiting glutamate release at BLA-plPFC synapses and the functional collapse of multimodal 2-AG signaling as a molecular mechanism leading to persistent circuit-specific synaptic strengthening and anxiety-like behaviors after stress exposure. These data suggest that circuit-specific impairment in 2-AG signaling could facilitate functional coupling between the BLA and plPFC and the translation of environmental stress to affective pathology. |
