Activation of basolateral amygdala in juvenile C57BL/6J mice during social approach behavior

• Published in: Neuroscience Vol. 335; pp. 184 - 194
• Main Authors: Ferri, Sarah L, Kreibich, Arati S, Torre, Matthew, Piccoli, Cara T, Dow, Holly, Pallathra, Ashley A, Li, Hongzhe, Bilker, Warren B, Gur, Ruben C, Abel, Ted, Brodkin, Edward S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 29-10-2016
• Subjects: amygdala; Animals; autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - physiopathology; Basolateral Nuclear Complex - physiology; behavior; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Brain - physiopathology; Disease Models, Animal; Fos; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; mouse model; Neurology; Phenotype; social; Social Behavior; calcium calmodulin kinase II; nonsocial exposure; amygdala; prefrontal cortex; SAT; PFC; Social Approach Test; NAc; ASD; autism spectrum disorders; basolateral amygdala; home cage; behavior; mouse model; social; regions of interest; SOC; nucleus accumbens; Fos; ROI; autism; social exposure; CaMKII; gamma-aminobutyric acid antibody; NC; BLA; GABA; HC; NS
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.006

Highlights • Juvenile C57BL/6J male mice exhibit high social approach behavior in a three-chamber apparatus. • Social approach preferentially activates the basolateral amygdala (BLA), indicated by increased c-Fos and Egr-1 expression. • Both glutamatergic and GABAergic cells in the BLA are activated by social approach. • Our data indicate that the BLA is an important hub in the circuitry mediating juvenile social approach behavior. • Future studies of sociability in mouse models of ASD should address potential alterations in circuitry involving the BLA.