The ability to orchestrate reward-seeking and fear-related behaviors during conflicting situations in the environment is crucial for safety and survival.  While correlations between the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been observed during both reward-seeking and fear, it remains unclear how information flows between these reciprocally-connected structures and whether direct interactions between them are necessary for the coordination of these competing behaviors.  In this talk, I will show evidence using a combination of recording and optogenetic techniques in rats on how interactions between the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) and the prelimbic (PL) subregion of the mPFC contribute to the coordination of reward-seeking and fear-related behaviors.  Single-unit recordings revealed strong correlated activity between the BLA and PL during both reward-seeking and fear.  While inhibitory BLA→PL correlations developed during the reward-associated cue, excitatory BLA→PL correlations prevailed during the fear-associated cue.  Consistent with this finding, optogenetic-mediated photoidentification revealed that BLA neurons terminating in PL mostly encoded the fear-associated cue.  Furthermore, a machine learning algorithm revealed more accurate decoding of behavioral responses in photoidentified BLA→PL neurons than in unidentified BLA neurons during behavioral competition, which was induced by the simultaneous presentation of the rewarding and fearful cues.  In addition, optogenetic-mediated stimulation in the BLA→PL direction preferentially enhanced fear-related behavior, whereas optogenetic-mediated inhibition weakened fear responses.  These findings support the hypothesis that amygdala-prefrontal interactions are fundamental for the coordination of reward-seeking and fear-related behaviors, and demonstrate that modulation in the BLA→PL direction is particularly essential for the encoding, decoding, and dynamic regulation of fear responses during conflicting motivational signals.