Threat avoidance, particularly from predators, is key for survival. Through the use of optogenetics, viral tracing, and electrophysiological recordings, Zhou and colleagues identified a superior colliculus to ventral tegmental area pathway in detecting alarming visual cues and mediating defensive behaviors in mice. These findings provide novel insight into the neural circuit underlying innate predator defense.

中文翻译：

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迫在眉睫的危险：解开捕食者威胁的电路

避免威胁，尤其是来自捕食者的威胁，是生存的关键。通过使用光遗传学、病毒追踪和电生理记录，Zhou 及其同事发现了一种上丘腹侧被盖区通路，用于检测小鼠令人震惊的视觉线索和介导防御行为。这些发现提供了对先天捕食者防御背后的神经回路的新见解。