# Synaptic organization and plasticity of the input from the amygdala to the gustatory cortex

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK · 2020 · $337,563

## Abstract

Summary
The perception of taste is a complex process that includes the chemosensory detection of a stimulus as well as
information regarding its hedonic value, whether a stimulus is pleasant or unpleasant. The gustatory cortex is
thought to be a central component of the taste system, and is hypothesized to integrate both of chemosensory
and affective dimensions of taste stimuli. However, to date, the neuronal and circuit mechanisms involved in this
process remain unclear. In this proposal, we will fill a gap in the current understanding of circuit underpinning for
taste by investigating the synaptic mechanisms underlying the integration of thalamocortical and
amygdalocortical inputs to the primary gustatory cortex. The thalamocortical projection from the taste thalamus
provides the gateway for chemosensory information to the gustatory cortex, while the basolateral nucleus of the
amygdala has been identified as a major contributor of hedonic information regarding taste stimuli. Taking
advantage of cutting-edge experimental approaches for circuit and synaptic analysis, and of a well-established
learning paradigm, conditioned taste aversion, that preserves the chemosensory identity, but alters a stimulus
affective dimension, we will determine how sensory and hedonic components of taste are integrated in the
gustatory cortical circuit. The approach we propose will begin to bridge the gap between the extensive behavioral/
pharmacological and cellular/molecular work that has significantly advanced the field, but without information
about underlying synaptic and circuit mechanisms remains difficult to reconcile in an overarching framework.
In addition, our study has important implication for public health. Many neurological and psychiatric disorders
are associated with altered sensory perception, or by anhedonia. Taste perception in human and rodents is
characterized by sensory and affective dimensions, therefore it provides a unique model for understanding
common mechanism of sensory processing, as well as for investigating the circuit underpinning for the
integration of sensory stimuli with their hedonic value. Therefore, results from our current study have the potential
of identifying novel targets for the development of therapeutic intervention.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9867719
- **Project number:** 5R01DC013770-07
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
- **Principal Investigator:** Alfredo Fontanini
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $337,563
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-03-01 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9867719

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9867719, Synaptic organization and plasticity of the input from the amygdala to the gustatory cortex (5R01DC013770-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9867719. Licensed CC0.

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