Disinhibitory amygdala microcircuits for aversive learning

Learning and memory are fundamental neuronal processes that are essential for behavioural adaptations in an ever-changing environment. Mechanisms of memory formation are critically shaped by dynamic changes in the balance of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal circuit elements. Although local inhibitory interneurons only represent a minority of the cells in most brain areas, they can tightly regulate the activity and plasticity of excitatory projection neurons in a spatially and temporally precise manner. Using fear conditioning as a model system for associative learning, we dissect the functional role of distinct interneuron subtypes in amygdala circuits for sensory processing and memory formation. In this talk, I will demonstrate how we combine deep-brain imaging and optogenetics in freely behaving mice with neural circuit tracing approaches and electrophysiology to address interactions of distinct amygdala inhibitory interneurons, and how this disinhibitory interplay affects plastic changes of neighbouring excitatory neurons and thus gates learning.

Bio
Sabine Krabbe studied Human Biology at the University of Marburg and received her PhD in Neurophysiology in 2012. For her postdoctoral work, Sabine joined the laboratory of Andreas Lüthi at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, where she focussed her research on the dissection of inhibitory amygdala microcircuits in fear learning and anxiety using a combination of deep-brain imaging, electrophysiology and optogenetic approaches. In February 2018, Sabine became a visiting scientist at HHMI Janelia Research Campus. Hosted by Scott Sternson’s laboratory, she addresses how genetically-defined amygdala neurons encode information during different behavioural and metabolic states by employing a novel spatial transcriptomic approach.

Video transmission using zoom : https://epfl.zoom.us/j/9946495775