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Regulation of neuronal plasticity and fear by a dynamic change in PAR1–G protein coupling in the amygdala

Molecular Psychiatry volume 18, pages 1136–1145 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Fear memories are acquired through neuronal plasticity, an orchestrated sequence of events regulated at circuit and cellular levels. The conventional model of fear acquisition assumes unimodal (for example, excitatory or inhibitory) roles of modulatory receptors in controlling neuronal activity and learning. Contrary to this view, we show that protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) promotes contrasting neuronal responses depending on the emotional status of an animal by a dynamic shift between distinct G protein-coupling partners. In the basolateral amygdala of fear-naive mice PAR1 couples to Gαq/11 and Gαo proteins, while after fear conditioning coupling to Gαo increases. Concurrently, stimulation of PAR1 before conditioning enhanced, but afterwards it inhibited firing of basal amygdala neurons. An initial impairment of the long-term potentiation (LTP) in PAR1-deficient mice was transformed into an increase in LTP and enhancement of fear after conditioning. These effects correlated with more frequent 2-amino-3-(5-methyl-3-oxo-1,2-oxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid (AMPA) receptor-mediated miniature post synaptic events and increased neuronal excitability. Our findings point to experience-specific shifts in PAR1–G protein coupling in the amygdala as a novel mechanism regulating neuronal excitability and fear.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Medical Research Council project grant (G0500231/73852), and a Marie Curie Excellence grant (MEXT-CT-2006-042265 from European Commission) to Robert Pawlak. We acknowledge the support of ECMNet (COST BM1001). We are obliged to Dr Marshall Runge for his gift of the anti-PAR1 antibody, and to Drs Shaun Coughlin and Rachel Chambers for PAR1−/− mice.

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Author notes

  1. A E Skrzypiec & R Pawlak

    Present address: 3Current address: Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK.,

  2. J-M Bourgognon and E Schiavon: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    J-M Bourgognon, E Schiavon, H Salah-Uddin, A E Skrzypiec, B K Attwood, R S Shah, S G Patel, M Mucha, R A John Challiss, I D Forsythe & R Pawlak

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Correspondence to R Pawlak.

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Bourgognon, JM., Schiavon, E., Salah-Uddin, H. et al. Regulation of neuronal plasticity and fear by a dynamic change in PAR1–G protein coupling in the amygdala. Mol Psychiatry 18, 1136–1145 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2012.133

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