Given that anxiety-like behaviors were induced by chemogenetic stimulation of pPVT-vmPFC projections (Fig. 3e–g), when nNOS-expressing neurons in the vmPFC were inhibited, there was an increased distance in the center of the OF (Fig. 4m) and increased time in the open arms of the EPM (Fig. 4n); there was no change in locomotor activities (Fig. 4m, n), suggesting anxiolytic effects. This evidence concerns the gene NOS1 and Anxiety.