Abstract
The medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA) plays a central role in processing sensory cues required for innate behaviors. However, whether there is a link between developmental programs and the emergence of inborn behaviors remains unknown. Our previous studies revealed that the telencephalic preoptic area (POA) embryonic niche is a novel source of MeA destined progenitors. Here, we show that the POA is comprised of distinct progenitor pools complementarily marked by the transcription factors Dbx1 and Foxp2. As determined by molecular and electrophysiological criteria this embryonic parcellation predicts postnatal MeA inhibitory neuronal subtype identity. We further find that Dbx1-derived and Foxp2+ cells in the MeA are differentially activated in response to innate behavioral cues in a sex-specific manner. Thus, developmental transcription factor expression is predictive of MeA neuronal identity and sex-specific neuronal responses, providing a potential developmental logic for how innate behaviors could be processed by different MeA neuronal subtypes.
Highlights
One of the major functions of the limbic system is to integrate conspecific and non-conspecific environmental cues with social and survival salience to generate appropriate behavioral responses (Sokolowski and Corbin, 2012; Stowers et al, 2013)
Our previous studies (Hirata et al, 2009) revealed that the preoptic area (POA), which lies on the telencephalic side of this border (Flames et al, 2007), is a source of Dbx1+ progenitors fated to generate a subpopulation of medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA) inhibitory output neurons
In addition to Dbx1+ progenitors, we observed a progenitor population comprised of Foxp2+ cells, residing primarily in the putative subventricular zone (SVZ) of the POA (Figure 1a–f,s)
Summary
One of the major functions of the limbic system is to integrate conspecific and non-conspecific environmental cues with social and survival salience to generate appropriate behavioral responses (Sokolowski and Corbin, 2012; Stowers et al, 2013). The medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA) serves as a hub in this function, residing only two synapses away from sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ (Dulac and Wagner, 2006; Sokolowski and Corbin, 2012). The MeA along with the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and multiple nuclei of the hypothalamus including the ventromedial hypothalamus, form a core limbic circuit largely dedicated to processing innate behaviors (Dulac and Wagner, 2006; Gross and Canteras, 2012; Choi et al, 2005).
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