DOI: 10.5061/dryad.stqjq2cbh
title: Data from: Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the amygdala of foraging rats

description: Pavlovian fear conditioning research suggests that the interaction between
 the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) acts
 as a prediction error mechanism in the formation of associative fear
 memories. However, their roles in responding to naturalistic predatory
 threats, characterized by less explicit cues and the absence of
 reiterative trial-and-error learning events, remain unexplored. In this
 study, we conducted single-unit recordings in rats during an ‘approach
 food-avoid predator’ task, focusing on the responsiveness of dPAG and BLA
 neurons to a rapidly approaching robot predator. Optogenetic stimulation
 of the dPAG triggered fleeing behaviors and increased BLA activity in
 naive rats. Notably, BLA neurons activated by dPAG stimulation displayed
 immediate responses to the robot, demonstrating heightened synchronous
 activity compared to BLA neurons that did not respond to dPAG stimulation.
 Additionally, the use of anterograde and retrograde tracer injections into
 the dPAG and BLA, respectively, coupled with c-Fos activation in response
 to predatory threats, indicates that the midline thalamus may play an
 intermediary role in innate antipredatory defensive functioning.
description: The dataset was collected by performing single-unit recording,
 optogenetics, and tracing techniques. All data were processed using
 Neuroexploer and customed Matlab programs.
description: # Periaqueductal gray activates antipredatory neural responses in the
 amygdala of foraging rats GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Dataset:
 dPAG-BLA connectivity 2. Author Information A. Principal Investigator
 Contact Information Name: Jeansok J Kim Institution: University of
 Washington Address: Seattle, WA 98195 Email:
 [jeansokk@u.washington.edu](mailto:jeansokk@u.washington.edu) B.
 Co-investigator Contact Information Name: Jeiwon Cho Institution: Ewha
 Womans University Address: Seoul, Korea Email:
 [jelectro21@ewha.ac.kr](mailto:jelectro21@ewha.ac.kr) C. First Author
 Contact Information Name: Eun Joo Kim Institution: University of
 Washington Address: Seattle, WA 98195 Email:
 [ejkim731@uw.edu](mailto:ejkim731@uw.edu) 3. Date of data collection :
 2016-02 ~ 2023-12 4. Geographic location of data collection : University
 of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 5. Information about funding sources that
 supported the collection of the data: Foundation for the National
 Institutes of Health (MH099073, Jeansok J Kim; AG067008, Eun Joo Kim;
 F32MH127801, Mi-Seon Kong), National Research Foundation of Korea
 (NRF-2022M3E5E8018421, NRF-2022R1A2C2009265; Jeiwon Cho) Raw data
 belonging to: Eun Joo Kim et al., (2024) Periaqueductal gray activates
 antipredatory neural response **DATA & FILE OVERVIEW** File List:
 PAG_single units dPAG-opto_behavior dPAG stim_BLA recording dPAG stim_BLA
 recording_with robot session Midline thalamus_cfos METHODOLOGICAL
 INFORMATION Description of methods used for collection/generation of data:
 Single-unit activity was recorded from the dorsal periaqueductal gray
 (dPAG) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). Peri-event time histogram and spike
 synchrony were computed and generated by using Neuroexplorer.
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: [PAG_single units] A total of 96 dPAG cells
 were recorded. Tabs 1-3 (Firing rates): All 96 cells' firing rates
 during pre-robot, robot, and post-robot sessions (-5 sec to 5 sec; 0.1-s
 bin; t=0, pellet procurement or robot activation). Tab 4 (Z-scored dPAG
 activity): All 96 cells' z-scores during pre-robot, robot, and
 post-robot sessions (-5 sec to 5 sec; 0.1-s bin; t=0, pellet procurement
 or robot activation). Tab 5 (Cell types): Robot, pellet, and BOTH cells.
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: [Opto*_*tracing_Behavioral data] dPAG
 stimulation and foraging behaviors Tab 1 (Baseline foraging): Pellet
 procurement latency for baseline foraging sessions (Day 1-4) Variable
 information ChR2: dPAG stimulation group EYFP: control stimulation group
 S: short pellet distance M: medium pellet distance L: long pellet distance
 Tab 2 (Testing foraging): Pellet procurement latency for testing session
 Stim day: testing (dPAG stimulation) composed of 3 baseline trials and
 dPAG stimulation trials (long and short distances) Tab 3 (dPAG
 stimulation_intensity): Pellet procurement latency for testing session
 (variable intensities) Tab 4 (dPAG stimulation_frequency): Pellet
 procurement latency for testing session (variable frequencies) Tab 5 (dPAG
 stimulation_duration): Pellet procurement latency for testing session
 (variable durations) Tab 6 (tracing animals): Pellet procurement latency
 for baseline and testing sessions with (Robot group) or withouth (Control
 group) a robot predator DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: [Midline
 thalamus_cfos] Fos-positive cell counting data Tab 1 (cfos): numbers of
 fos-postive cells and % relative to control data Con: foraging-only
 control group Robot: robot-experienced group PVT: paraventricular nucleus
 of the thalamus IMD: intermediate thalamus CM: central medial thalamus Rh:
 rhomboid nuclei of the thalamus Re: reuniens of the thalamus.
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: [dPAG stim_BLA recording] A total of 328
 BLA cells were recorded. Tabs 1-3 (Firing rates): All 321 cells'
 firing rates during pre-stim, stim, and post-stim sessions (-5 sec to 5
 sec; 0.1-s bin; t=0, pellet procurement or robot activation). Tab 4
 (Z-scored BLA activity): dPAG stimulation-excited cells  Tab 5 (Z-scored
 BLA activity): dPAG stimulation-inhibited cells  DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
 FOR: [dPAG stim_BLA recording_with robot session] A total of 85 BLA cells
 were analyzed. Tabs 1-4 (Firing rates): All 85 cells' firing rates
 during pre-stim, stim, post-stim, and robot sessions (-5 sec to 5 sec;
 0.1-s bin; t=0, pellet procurement or robot activation). Tab 5 (Z-scored
 BLA activity_Stim cells data): Robot responsivenss of the dPAG
 stimulation-excited cells. Cell types are classified in rows 408 and 409
 (Stim cells, Robot cells, and nonRobot cells) Tab 6 (Z-scored BLA
 activity_nonStim cells data): Robot responsivenss of the dPAG stimulation
 non-responsive cells. Cell types are classified in rows 408 and 409
 (nonStim cells, Robot cells, and nonRobot cells) Tab 7 (Z-scored BLA
 activity_inhibited cell): A dPAG stimulation-inhibited cell DATA-SPECIFIC
 INFORMATION FOR: [Cross-correlation_dPAG stim_BLA recording_with robot
 session] Cross-correlation data from the BLA cell pairs that showed
 significant synchrony during the robot encounters. Tab 1 (CC_significant
 pairs): Firing rates of BLA cells relative to paired BLA cells (using
 shift predictors with 100 random trial shuffles). Tab 2 (Z scored
 CC_significant pairs): Z-scored firings of BLA cells relative to paired
 BLA cells. The X-axis data of the purple columns have been reversed based
 on the CC peak positions (negative values). Tab 3 (Stim vs nonStim pairs):
 Z-scored firings of BLA cells relative to paired BLA cells for Stim pairs
 (contained at least one of the stimulation-responsive units) vs nonStim
 pairs (included only stimulation-nonresponsive units). Missing data code:
 NA