Mapping conditioned taste aversion associations using c-Fos reveals a dynamic role for insular cortex

Novel tastes are more effective than familiar tastes as conditioned stimuli (CSs) in taste aversion learning. Parallel to this, a novel CS- unconditioned stimulus (US) pairing induced stronger Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in insular cortex (IC), amygdala, and brainstem than familiar CS-US pairing, suggesting a large circuit is recruited for acquisition. To better define the role of IC, the authors combined immunostaining with lesion or reversible inactivation of IC. Lesions abolished FLI increases to novel taste pairing in amygdala, suggesting a role in novelty detection. Reversible inactivation during taste preexposure increased FLI to familiar taste pairing in amygdala and brainstem. The difference between temporary inactivation, which blocked establishment of "safe" taste memory, and lesions points to a dual role for IC in taste learning.