Baseplate

Ca²⁺ imaging of PrL and BLA neurons was performed on WT mice. AAV₅-hsyn-GCaMP6f (Tailtool, S02245) was injected into right PrL (AP: 1.94 mm, ML: +0.5 mm, DV: −2.15 mm) or BLA (AP: −1.46 mm, ML: +3.3 mm, DV: −4.68 mm), then a GRIN lens (0.5-mm diameter, 4.1-mm length; Inscopix) was implanted on PrL, and a GRIN lens (0.5-mm diameter, 6.1-mm length; Inscopix) was implanted on BLA after 2-week injection. Last, a baseplate (Inscopix) was attached above the GRIN lens by ultraviolet-light curable glue 2 weeks after GRIN lens implantation. The Ca²⁺ imaging data were captured (20 frames/s) using the Inscopix miniature microscope and nVista acquisition software (Inscopix, CA, USA) during retrieval, extinction, EM test, and SR test. In all the fear memory–related behavior experiments, a Transistor-Transistor-Logic (TTL) signal was used to synchronize the calcium signal and the behavioral time points.

Four-weeks after viral injections of male WT (n = 8) and Shank3^{f/f (Δe4-9)} (ctMUT; n = 10) mice, gradient index (GRIN) lenses (Inscopix ProView™ lens; 1mm diameter/4mm length) were unilaterally implanted in the PL region of PFC (AP: +2.5 mm, ML ±0.5 mm, DV: −0.5 mm). Once in place, the lens was secured to the skull using a C&B-Metabond (Parkell) cementing over two anchoring screws on the skull. Two weeks after the GRIN lens implantation, the baseplate (Inscopix) was mounted onto the GRIN lens under visual guidance via a miniature microscope (Inscopix) to determine the best field of view (FOV).