Hypothalamic representation of the imminence of predator threat detected by the vomeronasal organ in mice

Abstract

Abstract Animals have the innate ability to select optimal defensive behavioral outputs with an appropriate intensity in response to predator threat in specific contexts. Such innate behavioral decisions are thought to be computed in the medial hypothalamic nuclei that contain neural populations directly controlling defensive behavioral outputs. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is one of the major sensory input channels through which predator cues are detected with ascending inputs to the medial hypothalamic nuclei, especially to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). Here, we show that cat saliva contains predator cues that signal imminence of predator threat and regulate the robustness of freezing behavior through the VNO in mice. Cat saliva activates neurons expressing the V2R-A4 subfamily of sensory receptors, suggesting the existence of specific receptor groups responsible for freezing behavior induced by the predator cues. The number of VNO neurons activated in response to saliva correlates with the freshness of saliva and the intensity of freezing behavior, while the downstream neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and VMH are quantitatively equally activated by fresh and old saliva. Strikingly, however, only the number of VMH neurons activated by fresh saliva positively correlates with intensity of freezing behavior. Detailed analysis of the spatial distribution of fresh and old saliva-responding neurons revealed a neuronal population within the VMH that is more sensitive to fresh saliva than old saliva. Taken together, this study demonstrates that predator cues in cat saliva change over time and differentially activate the sensory-to-hypothalamus pathway. More specifically, the imminent predator signal predominantly activates V2R-A4 receptors, which results in the activation of freezing-correlated neurons in the VMH. In contrast, the less imminent predator signal activates V2R-A4 receptors to a lesser extent, which in turn results in the activation of distinct populations of neurons in the VMH that are not correlated to freezing.