AbstractInnate behaviors are genetically encoded, but their underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Predator odor 2,4,5-trimethyl-3-thiazoline (TMT) and its potent analog 2-methyl-2-thiazoline (2MT) are believed to activate specific odorant receptors to elicit innate fear/defensive behaviors in naive mice. Here, we conduct a large-scale recessive genetics screen of ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-mutagenized mice. We find that loss of Trpa1, a pungency/irritancy receptor, diminishes TMT/2MT and snake skin-evoked innate fear/defensive responses. Accordingly, Trpa1
−/−
mice fail to effectively activate known fear/stress brain centers upon 2MT exposure, despite their apparent ability to smell and learn to fear 2MT. Moreover, Trpa1 acts as a chemosensor for 2MT/TMT and Trpa1-expressing trigeminal ganglion neurons contribute critically to 2MT-evoked freezing. Our results indicate that Trpa1-mediated nociception plays a crucial role in predator odor-evoked innate fear/defensive behaviors. The work establishes the first forward genetics screen to uncover the molecular mechanism of innate fear, a basic emotion and evolutionarily conserved survival mechanism.
摘要先天行为是基因编码的,但它们的基本分子机制仍然大多数未知。掠食者气味2,4,5-三甲基-3-硫唑烷(TMT)及其有效类似物2-甲基-2-硫唑烷(2MT)被认为通过激活特定的气味受体,在天真的老鼠中引起先天恐惧/防御行为。在这里,我们对乙基亚硝胺(ENU)诱变的小鼠进行了大规模的隐性遗传学筛选。我们发现,失去辣味/刺激性受体Trpa1会减弱TMT/2MT和蛇皮引起的先天恐惧/防御反应。因此,Trpa1−/−小鼠在2MT暴露时无法有效激活已知的恐惧/压力大脑中心,尽管它们明显能够嗅到并学会恐惧2MT。此外,Trpa1作为2MT/TMT的化学感受器,Trpa1表达的三叉神经节神经元对2MT诱导的冻结反应起着至关重要的作用。我们的结果表明,Trpa1介导的痛觉感受在掠食者气味引起的先天恐惧/防御行为中起着重要作用。该研究建立了第一个前向遗传学筛选,揭示了先天恐惧的分子机制,这是一种基本情感和进化保守的生存机制。