Deconstruction of a memory engram reveals distinct ensembles recruited at learning.

How are associative memories formed? Which cells represent a memory, and when are they engaged? By visualizing and tagging cells based on their calcium influx with unparalleled temporal precision, we identified non-overlapping dorsal CA1 neuronal ensembles that are differentially active during associative fear memory acquisition. We dissected the acquisition experience into periods during which salient stimuli were presented or certain mouse behaviors occurred and found that cells associated with specific acquisition periods are sufficient alone to drive memory expression and contribute to fear engram formation. This study delineated the different identities of the cell ensembles active during learning, and revealed, for the first time, which ones form the core engram and are essential for memory formation and recall.

Threat-dependent scaling of prelimbic dynamics to enhance fear representation.

Promptly identifying threatening stimuli is crucial for survival. Freezing is a natural behavior displayed by rodents toward potential or actual threats. Although it is known that the prelimbic cortex (PL) is involved in both risk evaluation and in fear and anxiety-like behavior expression, here we explored whether PL neuronal activity can dynamically represent different internal states of the same behavioral output (i.