Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders

Aaron Limoges; Hector E Yarur; Hugo A Tejeda

doi:10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691

Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders

Front Syst Neurosci. 2022 Oct 5:16:963691. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Aaron Limoges^{1

2

3}, Hector E Yarur¹, Hugo A Tejeda¹

Affiliations

¹ Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States.
² NIH-Columbia University Individual Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.

Abstract

Amygdaloid circuits are involved in a variety of emotional and motivation-related behaviors and are impacted by stress. The amygdala expresses several neuromodulatory systems, including opioid peptides and their receptors. The Dynorphin (Dyn)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of emotional and stress-related information and is expressed in brain areas involved in stress and motivation. Dysregulation of the Dyn/KOR system has also been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is limited information about the role of the Dyn/KOR system in regulating amygdala circuitry. Here, we review the literature on the (1) basic anatomy of the amygdala, (2) functional regulation of synaptic transmission by the Dyn/KOR system, (3) anatomical architecture and function of the Dyn/KOR system in the amygdala, (4) regulation of amygdala-dependent behaviors by the Dyn/KOR system, and (5) future directions for the field. Future work investigating how the Dyn/KOR system shapes a wide range of amygdala-related behaviors will be required to increase our understanding of underlying circuitry modulation by the Dyn/KOR system. We anticipate that continued focus on the amygdala Dyn/KOR system will also elucidate novel ways to target the Dyn/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.

Keywords: G-protein coupled receptors; addiction; anxiety; basolateral amygdala; central nucleus of amygdala; dynorphin; kappa-opioid receptor (KOR); stress.

Publication types

Review