More than a feeling: central amygdala mediates social transfer of information about proximity of danger

Abstract

To survive, an animal must adequately respond to challenges presented by the environment. Social animals can learn about danger from fear of conspecifics which allows them to avoid predation and other threats without costly, first-hand experience. However, it remains unclear as to whether animals can transmit specific information that helps an individual avoid harm or whether the transmitted social signals simply increase vigilance in a non-specific manner. Here we demonstrate that animals can select appropriate defensive strategies in a novel environment depending on cues from the conspecific and, using opsins targeted to behaviorally activated neurons, identify distinct neuronal circuits in the central amygdala (CeA) that are crucial for choosing a context-appropriate reaction. The identified circuits differ in molecular markers and patterns of connectivity. Thus, we show that social signals carry explicit information about proximity of danger, necessary for choosing a context-appropriate reaction, and that the choosing process is mediated by the CeA circuits.