Combined subunit-specific and unspecific inhibition of NMDA receptors triggers distinct cortical c-fos expression patterns

The amygdala is a heterogeneous brain structure implicated in processing of emotions and storing the emotional aspects of memories. Gene activity markers such as c-Fos have been shown to reflect both neuronal activation and neuronal plasticity. Herein, we analyze the expression patterns of gene activity markers in the amygdala in response to either behavioral training or treatment with drugs of abuse and then we confront the results with data on other approaches to internal complexity of the amygdala. c-Fos has been the most often studied in the amygdala, showing specific expression patterns in response to various treatments, most probably reflecting functional specializations among amygdala subdivisions. In the basolateral amygdala, c-Fos expression appears to be consistent with the proposed role of this nucleus in a plasticity of the current stimulus-value associations. Within the medial part of the central amygdala, c-Fos correlates with acquisition of alimentary/gustatory behaviors. On the other hand, in the lateral subdivision of the central amygdala, c-Fos expression relates to attention and vigilance. In the medial amygdala, c-Fos appears to be evoked by emotional novelty of the experimental situation. The data on the other major subdivisions of the amygdala are scarce. In conclusion, the studies on the gene activity markers, confronted with other approaches involving neuroanatomy, physiology, and the lesion method, have revealed novel aspects of the amygdala, especially pointing to functional heterogeneity of this brain region that does not fit very well into contemporarily active debate on serial versus parallel information processing within the amygdala.

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Differential contributions of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors to spinal Fos expression evoked by superficial tissue and muscle inflammation in the rat

Neuroscience ◽

10.1016/s0306-4522(01)00299-8 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 106 (4) ◽

pp. 823-831 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

J.Y Hu ◽

Z.Q Zhao

Keyword(s):

Nmda Receptors ◽

Muscle Inflammation ◽

Fos Expression ◽

Superficial Tissue

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N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors

The Oxford Handbook of Neuronal Ion Channels ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190669164.013.16 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gary J. Iacobucci ◽

Gabriela K. Popescu

Keyword(s):

Nmda Receptors ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Cell Culture Techniques ◽

Culture Techniques ◽

Evolutionary Origins ◽

Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽

Functional Attributes ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Functional Features ◽

The Subject

Discovered more than 70 years ago due to advances in electrophysiology and cell culture techniques, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors remain the target of assiduous basic and clinical research. This interest flows from their intimate engagement with fundamental processes in the mammalian central nervous system and the resulting natural desire to understand how this receptor’s genetically encoded structural properties generate their distinctive functional features and how in turn these unique functional attributes play into the larger opus of physiological and pathological processes. From the overwhelming literature on the subject, the authors briefly outline contemporary understanding of the receptor’s evolutionary origins, molecular diversity, and expression patterns; sketch hypothesized correlations between structural dynamics, signal kinetics, and pathophysiological consequences; and highlight the breadth of processes in which NMDA receptors are implicated, many of which remain poorly understood. Continued developments in cryo-electron microscopy, whole-genome sequencing and editing, imaging, and other emerging technologies will likely confirm some of the current hypotheses and challenge others to produce a more accurate reflection of these receptors’ complex operation and myriad roles in health and disease.

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