Dr. Wen-Hsien Hou (侯文賢)

Fear is a highly conserved emotional process among species. One of the key brain region that gates the output of fear and controls fear learning is the lateral subdivision of the central amygdala (CeL). The CeL, a small core that is composed of over 90% intermingled GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-ergic neurons, is considered to provide tonic inhibition to tune the downstream amygdala region. Although recently the CeL neurons has been functionally characterized as CeLon or CeLoff neurons by the activity change after fear learning, the intrinsic properties and functional connectivity of the intra-CeL inhibitory microcircuit still remain unknown. In the past 5 years, I focused on the heterogeneity of CeL neurons and mapping the CeL GABAergic synapses by exploring the expression of functional marker (somatostatin), electrical properties, neurotransmissions, and the short-term plasticity of CeL synapses. I will further have insight into whether the CeL synapses would be modified during or after the fear conditioning test.

Education

B.S.    National Tsing Hua University

PhD student  2013~2016

Institute of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences

Publications

中央外側杏仁核的連結特異性與突觸多樣性  (博士論文)
Wiring specificity and synaptic diversity in the mouse lateral central amygdala (PhD thesis) [PDF]

Kuo YL, Cheng JK, Hou WH, Chang YC, Du PH, Jian JJ, Rau RH, Yang JH, Lien CC, Tsaur ML. K+ channel modulatory subunits KChIP and DPP participate in Kv4-mediated mechanical pain control. J Neurosci  2017 April; 37(16): 4391-4404.  [PDF]  [PubMed]

Lee CT, Kao MH, Hou WH, Wei YT, Chen CL, Lien CC. Causal evidence for the role of specific GABAergic interneuron types in entorhinal recruitment of dentate granule cells. Sci Rep 2016 Nov; 6: 36885. [PDF] [PubMed]

Wu CC, Lien CC, Hou WH, Chiang PM, Tsai KJ. Gain of BDNF function in engrafted neural stem cells promotes the therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2016 Jun; 6: 27358. [PDF] [PubMed]

Hou WH, Kuo N, Fang GW, Huang HS, Wu KP, Zimmer A, Cheng JK, Lien CC. Wiring specificity and synaptic diversity in the mouse lateral central amygdala. J Neurosci 2016 April; 36(16): 4549-4563. (Corresponding author) (Featured Article) [PDF] [PubMed]; also see Editor's Commentary [PDF] [PDF (Chinese Ver.)]

Chang CP, Lee CT, Hou WH, Lin MS, Lai HL, Chien CL, Chang C, Cheng PL, Lien CC*, Chern Y. Type VI adenylyl cyclase negatively regulates GluN2B-mediated LTD and spatial reversal learning. Sci Rep 2016 Mar; 6(22529): 1-16. (*co-corresponding author) [PDF] [Supporting information] [PubMed]

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