Separate BNST Microcircuits Targeted by Direct Versus Amygdala-Relayed Prefrontal Inputs Mediate Dissociable Phenotypes After Isolation

BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 projects to BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 · Mouse

Retrograde mCherry-expressing AAV placed in the BNST labelled neurons in the basolateral amygdala, showing that BLA neurons send axons to the BNST.

Fig. 2B; Results 3.2

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

PL (Prelimbic area) MBA:972 projects to BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 · Mouse

A retrograde AAV expressing mCherry injected into the BNST retrogradely labelled cell bodies in the prefrontal cortex.

Fig. 2B; Results 3.2

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

PL (Prelimbic area) MBA:972 projects to BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 · Mouse

EGFP-expressing anterograde AAV in the prefrontal cortex labelled axon terminals in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, indicating a direct prefrontal projection.

Fig. 2A; Results 3.2

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 synapses onto BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 · Mouse

Cre-dependent WGA-FLP expressed in PFC-innervated BLA neurons transferred FLP activity into BNST cells, which were then visualised with a FLP-dependent reporter, identifying BNST neurons postsynaptic to BLA axons.

Fig. 2E, Fig. 4B,C; Results 3.2 and 3.4

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

PL (Prelimbic area) MBA:972 synapses onto BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 · Mouse

Anterograde trans-synaptic rAAV2/1-Cre in the PFC with a Cre-dependent mCherry vector in the BNST labelled a population of BNST neurons directly innervated by prefrontal axons; these cells were spatially separate from BNST neurons engaged by the BLA relay.

Fig. 2E, Fig. 5B,C; Results 3.2 and 3.5

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 projects to BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 · Mouse

BLA neurons labelled by a Cre-dependent reporter after anterograde trans-synaptic Cre delivery to the PFC had axon terminals in the BNST, abundant in the anterior medial division (STMA) and only scattered in the dorsal lateral division (STLD).

Fig. 2C; Results 3.2

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

PL (Prelimbic area) MBA:972 projects to BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 · Mouse

An anterograde AAV expressing EGFP injected into the medial prefrontal cortex produced clear axonal terminal labelling within the basolateral amygdala.

Fig. 2A; Results 3.2

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

PL (Prelimbic area) MBA:972 synapses onto BLA (Basolateral amygdalar nucleus) MBA:295 · Mouse

Anterograde trans-synaptic rAAV2/1-Cre injected in the PFC combined with a Cre-dependent reporter in the BLA labelled BLA neurons, and together with retrograde labelling from the BNST revealed doubly labelled BLA relay cells that receive prefrontal input and project to the BNST.

Fig. 2C,D; Results 3.2

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.