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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jul 16.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2014 Jun 26;83(2):444–454. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.05.028

Figure 6. Inducible silencing of Tac2-expressing neurons in the CeA with Gi-DREADD decreases conditioned fear.

Figure 6

A) Design of hM4Di-mCherry AAV and Tac2-cre mice. B and C) Tac2-Cre- or Tac2-Cre+ mice were infected with the hM4Di-mCherry AAV in the CeA. The Gi receptor was inserted only on the Tac2-Cre cells of Tac2-Cre+ mice, CeM = centro-medial amygdala, CeL = centro-lateral amygdala. Scale bar = 125 μm. D) CNO was given systemically 30 minutes prior to fear conditioning to Tac2-Cre-/hM4Di-mCherry and Tac2-Cre+/hM4Di-mCherry. Temporal silencing of the Tac2-expressing neurons in the Tac2-Cre+/hM4Di-mCherry group did not affect freezing during fear acquisition. However, when mice were tested the day after for fear expression, without CNO, Tac2-Cre+/hM4Di-mCherry mice showed less conditioned fear. *P ≤0.05 Tac2-Cre-/hM4Di-mCherry vs Tac2-Cre+/hM4Di-mCherry, N=10-11 per group. E) Tac2-Cre-/hM4Di-mCherry and Tac2-Cre+/hM4Di-mCherry mice were retrained to a different acoustic tone (CS) without receiving CNO. Both groups equally acquired fear learning and showed similar levels of fear memory consolidation. F) CNO given 30 minutes before the elevated plus maze showed no effect on Tac2-Cre-/hM4Di-mCherry nor Tac2-Cre+/hM4Di-mCherry in anxiety-like behavior. See also Figure S6.