The Zoological Society of Japan, Hokkaido Branch, 612th Branch Lecture
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 17:00 – 18:30
Location: Hokkaido University, Faculty of Science, Building No. 5, 8th Floor, Room 813
Speaker: Dr. Hiroki Yamao (Institute of Neurobiology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf)
Title: Astrocyte-mediated regulation of fear memory fate
Abstract: Animals exploit regularities in the environment by storing memories and later using them to guide behavior. Astrocytes may modulate neuronal meta-plastic states, thereby influencing memory.
formation during highly salient experiences, such as intense fear. Here, we combined classical fear conditioning with in vivo astrocyte optogenetic manipulations, fiber photometry recordings, and ex vivo measurements to investigate the role of amygdala astrocytes in fear memory. Optogenetic perturbations during conditioning selectively altered long-term and remote memory formation, without simply disrupting immediate memory acquisition. These findings suggest that amygdala astrocytes act during a brief window around fear experience to regulate the long-term fate of memory. To assess whether astrocytes show physiologically relevant activity, astrocyte activity patterns were assessed in vivo and ex vivo to identify dynamics that underlie their possible roles in memory modulation.
Caretaker:
Hiroto Ogawa (Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University)
hogawa[a]sci.hokudai.ac.jp
Please change [a] to @.
Ezo squirrel (Provided by Minorukaz Nagahara, Asahikawa Medical University RI Research Facility)
