Fig. 1: Learned threat experience significantly increased the escape velocity, the number of flight behaviors, and the activity of PMdCCK neurons. | Nature Communications

Fig. 1: Learned threat experience significantly increased the escape velocity, the number of flight behaviors, and the activity of PMdCCK neurons.

From: Endocannabinoids disinhibit the ventral tegmental nucleus of Gudden to dorsal premammillary nucleus pathway to enhance escape behavior following learned threat experience

Fig. 1

a Timeline for each behavior assay. b Left: Repeated 2MT exposure significantly increased the escape velocity from the rat. Right: Repeated 2MT exposure significantly increased the number of escapes from the rat (Saline: n = 21 mice; Acute: n = 26 mice; Repeated: n = 26 mice; One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test, ****p < 0.0001). c Left: Escape velocity for the same groups as in (B) during exposure to 15% CO2. Right: Number of jumps for the same groups in the CO2 (Saline: n = 21 mice; Acute: n = 26 mice; Repeated: n = 26 mice; One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test, ****p < 0.0001). d Left: Ablation of PMdCCK neurons significantly impaired the velocity of exaggerated flight in rat assay. Right: Ablation of PMdCCK neurons significantly decreased the number of exaggerated flight (GFP: n = 16 mice; Cas-3: n = 16 mice; unpaired Student’s t-test, ****p < 0.0001). e Left: Ablation of PMdCCK neurons significantly impaired the velocity of exaggerated flight in CO2 assay. Right: Ablation of PMdCCK neurons significantly decreased the number of exaggerated flight (GFP: n = 16 mice; Cas-3: n = 16 mice; unpaired Student’s t-test, ****p < 0.0001). f Strategy to express CGaMP7s in PMdCCK neurons and the histology of GCaMP7s expression in the PMd. Scale bar, 200 μm. g Left: Example traces of mean escape-activated PMdCCK neuron activity aligned with escape onset in mice from different groups. Right: Comparison of Z-score AUC of mice from different groups in response to rat exposure (n = 8 mice for each group; One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test, **p < 0.01). h Left: Neuron traces from the same groups as in (G) left during exposure to CO2. Right: Comparison of Z-score AUC in response to CO2 exposure. (n = 8 mice for each group; One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test, **p < 0.01). Data are presented as means ± SEM. See also Supplementary Fig. 1. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. 2MT, 2-methyl-2-thiazoline; PMd, dorsal premammillary nucleus; PMv, premamillary nucleus, ventral part.

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