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Lee J, Sabatini BL. From avoidance to new action: the multifaceted role of the striatal indirect pathway. Nat Rev Neurosci 2025:10.1038/s41583-025-00925-2. [PMID: 40335770 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-025-00925-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2025] [Indexed: 05/09/2025]
Abstract
A hallmark of optimal reinforcement learning is that an agent learns to avoid actions that lead to negative outcomes while still exploring alternative actions that could lead to better outcomes. Although the basal ganglia have been hypothesized to contribute to this computation, the mechanisms by which they do so are still unclear. Here, we focus on the function of the striatal indirect pathway and propose that it is regulated by a synaptic plasticity rule that allows an animal to avoid actions that lead to suboptimal outcomes. We consider current theories of striatal indirect pathway function in light of recent experimental findings and discuss studies that suggest that indirect pathway activity is potentiated by the suppression of dopamine release in the striatum. Furthermore, we highlight recent studies showing that activation of the indirect pathway can trigger an action, allowing animals to explore new actions while suppressing suboptimal actions. We show how our framework can reconcile previously conflicting results regarding the indirect pathway and suggest experiments for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeeon Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Ataniya R, Koike T, Inamoto A. Halved Dose of Antipsychotics Versus High-Dose Antipsychotic Therapy for Relapse in Patients with Schizophrenia Receiving High-Dose Antipsychotic Therapy: A Randomized Single-Blind Trial. Int J Mol Sci 2025; 26:4003. [PMID: 40362244 PMCID: PMC12071691 DOI: 10.3390/ijms26094003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2025] [Revised: 04/13/2025] [Accepted: 04/22/2025] [Indexed: 05/15/2025] Open
Abstract
Both a shortage and an excess of dopamine (DA) in the prefrontal cortex and striatum result in their decreased functions, and the relationship between the DA levels and their functions exhibits an inverted-U shape. Increased DA transmission via dose reduction in the currently used antipsychotics may improve the activation of DA-related symptoms in schizophrenia; these include delusions and auditory hallucinations caused by increased DA release. In this case, reducing the dose of the antipsychotic may be a treatment option for relapse in patients with schizophrenia who are already on high doses of antipsychotics and find it difficult to further increase the dose. A total of 54 inpatients with schizophrenia receiving high-dose antipsychotic therapy were randomly assigned to either the halved-dose group or the high-dose group (symptomatic treatment). The study compared the time from relapse to improvement between the two groups. In the halved-dose group, the period until relapse improvement ranged from 1 to 3 weeks, while the high-dose group experienced improvement in 4 to 9 weeks, and a significant difference was observed between the two groups using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (p < 0.001).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Ataniya
- Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, 35-1, Chigasakichuou, Tsuzuki-Ku, Yokohama-Shi 224-0032, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Edogawa Hospital, 2702, Yamazaki, Noda-Shi 278-0022, Japan
| | - Takeshi Koike
- Department of Psychiatry, Edogawa Hospital, 2702, Yamazaki, Noda-Shi 278-0022, Japan
| | - Atsuko Inamoto
- Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, 35-1, Chigasakichuou, Tsuzuki-Ku, Yokohama-Shi 224-0032, Japan
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3
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Oriol L, Chao M, Kollman GJ, Dowlat DS, Singhal SM, Steinkellner T, Hnasko TS. Ventral tegmental area interneurons revisited: GABA and glutamate projection neurons make local synapses. eLife 2025; 13:RP100085. [PMID: 40238649 PMCID: PMC12002793 DOI: 10.7554/elife.100085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2025] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains projection neurons that release the neurotransmitters dopamine, GABA, and/or glutamate from distal synapses. VTA also contains GABA neurons that synapse locally on to dopamine neurons, synapses widely credited to a population of so-called VTA interneurons. Interneurons in cortex, striatum, and elsewhere have well-defined morphological features, physiological properties, and molecular markers, but such features have not been clearly described in VTA. Indeed, there is scant evidence that local and distal synapses originate from separate populations of VTA GABA neurons. In this study, we tested whether several markers expressed in non-dopamine VTA neurons are selective markers of interneurons, defined as neurons that synapse locally but not distally. Challenging previous assumptions, we found that VTA neurons genetically defined by expression of parvalbumin, somatostatin, neurotensin, or Mu-opioid receptor project to known VTA targets including nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, lateral habenula, and prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we provide evidence that VTA GABA and glutamate projection neurons make functional inhibitory or excitatory synapses locally within VTA. These findings suggest that local collaterals of VTA projection neurons could mediate functions prior attributed to VTA interneurons. This study underscores the need for a refined understanding of VTA connectivity to explain how heterogeneous VTA circuits mediate diverse functions related to reward, motivation, or addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Oriol
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Melody Chao
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Grace J Kollman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Dina S Dowlat
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Sarthak M Singhal
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Thomas Steinkellner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
- Research Service VA San Diego Healthcare SystemSan DiegoUnited States
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4
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Yu Z, Verstynen T, Rubin JE. How the dynamic interplay of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic pathways shapes the time course of deliberation and commitment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.03.17.643668. [PMID: 40166196 PMCID: PMC11956933 DOI: 10.1101/2025.03.17.643668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2025]
Abstract
Although the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic (CBGT) network is identified as a central circuit for decision-making, the dynamic interplay of multiple control pathways within this network in shaping decision trajectories remains poorly understood. Here we develop and apply a novel computational framework - CLAW (Circuit Logic Assessed via Walks) - for tracing the instantaneous flow of neural activity as it progresses through CBGT networks engaged in a virtual decision-making task. Our CLAW analysis reveals that the complex dynamics of network activity is functionally dissectible into two critical phases: deliberation and commitment. These two phases are governed by distinct contributions of underlying CBGT pathways, with indirect and pallidostriatal pathways influencing deliberation, while the direct pathway drives action commitment. We translate CBGT dynamics into the evolution of decision-related policies, based on three previously identified control ensembles (responsiveness, pliancy, and choice) that encapsulate the relationship between CBGT activity and the evidence accumulation process. Our results demonstrate two contrasting strategies for decision-making. Fast decisions, with direct pathway dominance, feature an early response in both boundary height and drift rate, leading to a rapid collapse of decision boundaries and a clear directional bias. In contrast, slow decisions, driven by indirect and pallidostriatal pathway dominance, involve delayed changes in both decision policy parameters, allowing for an extended period of deliberation before commitment to an action. These analyses provide important insights into how the CBGT circuitry can be tuned to adopt various decision strategies and how the decision-making process unfolds within each regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuojun Yu
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Timothy Verstynen
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jonathan E. Rubin
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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5
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Shin JH, Goldbach HC, Burke DA, Authement ME, Swanson ES, Bocarsly ME, Hernandez S, Kwon HB, Cerveny SE, Mehr JB, Plotnikova AS, Mohanty A, Cummins AC, Pelkey KA, McBain CJ, Khaliq ZM, Eldridge MAG, Averbeck BB, Alvarez VA. Local Regulation of Striatal Dopamine Release Shifts from Predominantly Cholinergic in Mice to GABAergic in Macaques. J Neurosci 2025; 45:e1692242025. [PMID: 39837662 PMCID: PMC11905349 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1692-24.2025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2024] [Revised: 12/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2025] [Indexed: 01/23/2025] Open
Abstract
Dopamine critically regulates neuronal excitability and promotes synaptic plasticity in the striatum, thereby shaping network connectivity and influencing behavior. These functions establish dopamine as a key neuromodulator, whose release properties have been well studied in rodents but remain understudied in nonhuman primates. This study aims to close this gap by investigating the properties of dopamine release in macaque striatum and comparing/contrasting them to better-characterized mouse striatum, using ex vivo brain slices from male and female animals. Using combined electrochemical techniques and photometry with fluorescent dopamine sensors, we found that evoked dopamine signals have smaller amplitudes in macaques compared with those in mice. Interestingly, cholinergic-dependent dopamine release, which accounts for two-thirds of evoked dopamine release in mouse slices, is significantly reduced in macaques, providing a potential mechanistic underpinning for the observed species difference. In macaques, only nicotinic receptors with alpha-6 subunits contribute to evoked dopamine release, whereas in mice, both alpha-6 and non-alpha6-containing receptors are involved. We also identified robust potentiation of dopamine release in both species when GABAA and GABAB receptors were blocked. This potentiation was stronger in macaques, with an average increase of 50%, compared with 15% in mice. Together, these results suggest that dopamine release in macaque is under stronger GABA-mediated inhibition and that weaker cholinergic-mediated dopamine release may account for the smaller amplitude of evoked dopamine signals in macaque slices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Hoon Shin
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Hannah C Goldbach
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory on Neuronal Circuits and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Dennis A Burke
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Michael E Authement
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Evan S Swanson
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory on Neuronal Circuits and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Miriam E Bocarsly
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Sean Hernandez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Han B Kwon
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory on Neuronal Circuits and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Sydney E Cerveny
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory on Neuronal Circuits and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Jacqueline B Mehr
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory on Neuronal Circuits and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Anya S Plotnikova
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Arya Mohanty
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Alexander C Cummins
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Kenneth A Pelkey
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Section on Cellular and Synaptic Physiology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Chris J McBain
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Section on Cellular and Synaptic Physiology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Zayd M Khaliq
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
| | - Mark A G Eldridge
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Comparative Brain Physiology Consortium, Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
- Laboratory on Neuronal Circuits and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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Remmers B, Nicot A, Matsumura K, Lyuboslavsky P, Choi IB, Ouyang Y, Dobbs LK. Mu opioid receptors expressed in striatal D2 medium spiny neurons have divergent contributions to cocaine and morphine reward. Neuroscience 2025; 568:273-284. [PMID: 39832666 PMCID: PMC12002382 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Revised: 12/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2025] [Indexed: 01/22/2025]
Abstract
While our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cocaine and opiate reward has historically been dopamine-focused, evidence from genetic and pharmacological approaches indicates that µ-opioid receptors (MORs) in the striatum are important contributors. Within the striatum, MORs are expressed in both dopamine D1-receptor and D2-receptor expressing GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs), as well as in interneurons and various afferents. Thus, it remains unclear how these distinct MOR populations regulate drug reward. To address this, we generated mice with a targeted deletion of MORs from dopamine D2 receptor-expressing MSNs (D2-MORKO) and tested the locomotor and conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine and morphine. D2-MORKO mice showed blunted acquisition of cocaine place preference and suppressed expression of preference when tested in the presence of cocaine. Conversely, the acute and sensitized locomotor responses to cocaine and morphine, as well as morphine conditioned place preference, were normal in D2-MORKOs. This indicates MORs expressed in D2-MSNs facilitate cocaine reward. Further, these data suggest these MORs play divergent roles in cocaine and morphine reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey Remmers
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Amélia Nicot
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kanako Matsumura
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Polina Lyuboslavsky
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - In Bae Choi
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yiru Ouyang
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Lauren K Dobbs
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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7
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Wang M, Xu L, Zhao D, Wang W, Xu L, Cao Y, Meng F, Liu J, Li C, Jiang S. The glutamatergic projections from the PVT to mPFC govern methamphetamine-induced conditional place preference behaviors in mice. J Affect Disord 2025; 371:289-304. [PMID: 39579874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 11/14/2024] [Accepted: 11/16/2024] [Indexed: 11/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug addiction is closely related to the dysregulation of complex neural circuits. However, the neural connections underlying the symptoms of methamphetamine (METH)-induced addiction have yet to be elucidated. METHODS We conducted ΔFosB (Delta FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B) associated immunofluorescence and electrophysiological recording experiments to measure the neural activity of paraventricular thalamus (PVT) neurons in METH treated mice. Then, the METH-mediated conditional place preference (CPP) behaviors were evaluated after chemogenetic manipulation of PVT neurons. Additionally, the neural projection from PVT to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was verified through Adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediating neural tracing method, and its role on METH-mediated CPP behaviors was determined using chemogenetic and neural ablation strategies. RESULTS We found that glutamatergic neurons in PVT were activated by METH. Activating the glutamatergic neurons in PVT promoted the METH-mediated CPP behaviors, while inhibiting these neurons attenuated the CPP behaviors. Moreover, we observed PVT neurons showed robust neuronal projections to mPFC, activation of the mPFC→projecting neurons in PVT or the afferent terminals in mPFC derived from PVT enhanced METH-mediated CPP performance, and ablating the mPFC neurons receipting neural projection from PVT impeded these increased METH-mediated CPP phenotypes. LIMITATIONS The underlying molecular mechanism of the dysfunctional PVT neurons after METH treatment and the PVT neurons regulating the activity of mPFC target neurons remains unclear. CONCLUSIONS These results shed light on that PVT is a key METH addiction-controlling nucleus, and PVT → mPFC projection regulated METH-mediated CPP behaviors, which could serve as a vital pathway for morbidity and treatment for METH-mediated addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqin Wang
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Shandong 264003, China; Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Shandong 264003, China; Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Wentao Wang
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Lihong Xu
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Yifan Cao
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Fantao Meng
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Chen Li
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China.
| | - Shujun Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Shandong 264003, China.
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Malvaez M, Liang A, Hall BS, Giovanniello JR, Paredes N, Gonzalez JY, Blair GJ, Sias AC, Murphy MD, Guo W, Wang A, Singh M, Griffin NK, Bridges SP, Wiener A, Pimenta JS, Holley SM, Cepeda C, Levine MS, Blair HT, Wikenheiser AM, Wassum KM. Striatal cell-type specific stability and reorganization underlying agency and habit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.26.634924. [PMID: 39896502 PMCID: PMC11785256 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.26.634924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
Adaptive decision making requires agency, knowledge that actions produce particular outcomes. For well-practiced routines, agency is relinquished in favor of habit. Here, we asked how dorsomedial striatum D1+ and D2/A2A+ neurons contribute to agency and habit. We imaged calcium activity of these neurons as mice learned to lever press with agency and formed habits with overtraining. Whereas many D1+ neurons stably encoded actions throughout learning and developed encoding of reward outcomes, A2A+ neurons reorganized their encoding of actions from initial action-outcome learning to habit formation. Chemogenetic manipulations indicated that both D1+ and A2A+ neurons support action-outcome learning, but only D1+ neurons enable the use of such agency for adaptive, goal-directed decision making. These data reveal coordinated dorsomedial striatum D1+ and A2A+ function for the development of agency, cell-type specific stability and reorganization underlying agency and habit, and important insights into the neuronal circuits of how we learn and decide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alvina Liang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Baila S Hall
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | | | | | - Ana C Sias
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Wanyi Guo
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alicia Wang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Malika Singh
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | - Anna Wiener
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Sandra M Holley
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Michael S Levine
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - H Tad Blair
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andrew M Wikenheiser
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kate M Wassum
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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9
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Oriol L, Chao M, Kollman GJ, Dowlat DS, Singhal SM, Steinkellner T, Hnasko TS. Ventral tegmental area interneurons revisited: GABA and glutamate projection neurons make local synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2024.06.07.597996. [PMID: 38895464 PMCID: PMC11185768 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.597996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains projection neurons that release the neurotransmitters dopamine, GABA, and/or glutamate from distal synapses. VTA also contains GABA neurons that synapse locally on to dopamine neurons, synapses widely credited to a population of so-called VTA interneurons. Interneurons in cortex, striatum, and elsewhere have well-defined morphological features, physiological properties, and molecular markers, but such features have not been clearly described in VTA. Indeed, there is scant evidence that local and distal synapses originate from separate populations of VTA GABA neurons. In this study we tested whether several markers expressed in non-dopamine VTA neurons are selective markers of interneurons, defined as neurons that synapse locally but not distally. Challenging previous assumptions, we found that VTA neurons genetically defined by expression of parvalbumin, somatostatin, neurotensin, or mu-opioid receptor project to known VTA targets including nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, lateral habenula, and prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we provide evidence that VTA GABA and glutamate projection neurons make functional inhibitory or excitatory synapses locally within VTA. These findings suggest that local collaterals of VTA projection neurons could mediate functions prior attributed to VTA interneurons. This study underscores the need for a refined understanding of VTA connectivity to explain how heterogeneous VTA circuits mediate diverse functions related to reward, motivation, or addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Oriol
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Melody Chao
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Grace J Kollman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Dina S Dowlat
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Sarthak M Singhal
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Thomas Steinkellner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
- Research Service VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States
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10
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Goto S. Functional pathology of neuroleptic-induced dystonia based on the striatal striosome-matrix dopamine system in humans. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2025; 96:177-183. [PMID: 39631787 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2024-334545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 11/14/2024] [Indexed: 12/07/2024]
Abstract
Neuroleptic-induced dystonia is a source of great concern in clinical practice because of its iatrogenic nature which can potentially lead to life-threatening conditions. Since all neuroleptics (antipsychotics) share the ability to block the dopamine D2-type receptors (D2Rs) that are highly enriched in the striatum, this drug-induced dystonia is thought to be caused by decreased striatal D2R activity. However, how associations of striatal D2R inactivation with dystonia are formed remains elusive.A growing body of evidence suggests that imbalanced activities between D1R-expressing medium spiny neurons and D2R-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs) in the striatal striosome-matrix system underlie the pathophysiology of various basal ganglia disorders including dystonia. Given the specificity of the striatal dopamine D1 system in 'humans', this article highlights the striatal striosome hypothesis in causing 'repetitive' and 'stereotyped' motor symptoms which are key clinical features of dystonia. It is suggested that exposure to neuroleptics may reduce striosomal D1-MSN activity and thereby cause dystonia symptoms. This may occur through an increase in the striatal cholinergic activity and the collateral inhibitory action of D2-MSNs onto neighbouring D1-MSNs within the striosome subfields. The article proposes a functional pathology of the striosome-matrix dopamine system for neuroleptic-induced acute dystonia or neuroleptic-withdrawal dystonia. A rationale for the effectiveness of dopaminergic or cholinergic pharmacotherapy is also provided for treating dystonias. This narrative review covers various aspects of the relevant field and provides a detailed discussion of the mechanisms of neuroleptic-induced dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Goto
- Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Yarur-Castillo HE, Noh C, Flores RJ, Weil T, Roy S, Usdin TB, LaGamma CT, Wang H, Tsai VS, Kerspern D, Moritz AE, Sibley DR, Lutas A, Moratalla R, Freyberg Z, Tejeda HA. Dissociable control of motivation and reinforcement by distinct ventral striatal dopamine receptors. Nat Neurosci 2025; 28:105-121. [PMID: 39653808 PMCID: PMC12065418 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01819-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2024] [Indexed: 12/18/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) release in striatal circuits, including the nucleus accumbens medial shell (mNAcSh), tracks separable features of reward like motivation and reinforcement. However, the cellular and circuit mechanisms by which DA receptors transform DA release into distinct constructs of reward remain unclear. Here we show that DA D3 receptor (D3R) signaling in the mNAcSh drives motivated behavior in mice by regulating local microcircuits. Furthermore, D3Rs coexpress with DA D1 receptors, which regulate reinforcement, but not motivation. Paralleling dissociable roles in reward function, we report nonoverlapping physiological actions of D3R and DA D1 receptor signaling in mNAcSh neurons. Our results establish a fundamental framework wherein DA signaling within the same nucleus accumbens cell type is physiologically compartmentalized via actions on distinct DA receptors. This structural and functional organization provides neurons in a limbic circuit with the unique ability to orchestrate dissociable aspects of reward-related behaviors relevant to the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Instituto Cajal-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur-Castillo
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chloe Noh
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tenley Weil
- Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Snehashis Roy
- Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ted B Usdin
- Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christina T LaGamma
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Valerie S Tsai
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Damien Kerspern
- Neuromodulation and Motivation Section, Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amy E Moritz
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David R Sibley
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Neuromodulation and Motivation Section, Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rosario Moratalla
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Instituto Cajal-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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12
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Tritsch NX. Motivating interest in D3 dopamine receptors. Nat Neurosci 2025; 28:6-7. [PMID: 39653807 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01820-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2025]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas X Tritsch
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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13
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Weber SJ, Kawa AB, Beutler MM, Kuhn HM, Moutier AL, Westlake JG, Koyshman LM, Moreno CD, Wunsch AM, Wolf ME. Dopamine transmission at D1 and D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens contributes to the expression of incubation of cocaine craving. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 50:461-471. [PMID: 39300272 PMCID: PMC11632087 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01992-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Relapse represents a consistent clinical problem for individuals with substance use disorder. In the incubation of craving model of persistent craving and relapse, cue-induced drug seeking progressively intensifies or "incubates" during the first weeks of abstinence from drug self-administration and then remains high for months. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that expression of incubated cocaine craving requires strengthening of excitatory synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc). However, despite the importance of dopaminergic signaling in the NAcc for motivated behavior, little is known about the role that dopamine (DA) plays in the incubation of cocaine craving. Here we used fiber photometry to measure DA transients in the NAcc of male and female rats during cue-induced seeking tests conducted in early abstinence from cocaine self-administration, prior to incubation, and late abstinence, after incubation of craving has plateaued. We observed DA transients time-locked to cue-induced responding but their magnitude did not differ significantly when measured during early versus late abstinence seeking tests. Next, we tested for a functional role of these DA transients by injecting DA receptor antagonists into the NAcc just before the cue-induced seeking test. Blockade of either D1 or D2 DA receptors reduced cue-induced cocaine seeking after but not before incubation. We found no main effect of sex or significant interaction of sex with other factors in our experiments. These results suggest that DA contributes to incubated cocaine seeking but the emergence of this role reflects changes in postsynaptic responsiveness to DA rather than presynaptic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia J Weber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Alex B Kawa
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Madelyn M Beutler
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Hayley M Kuhn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Alana L Moutier
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jonathan G Westlake
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lara M Koyshman
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Cloe D Moreno
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Amanda M Wunsch
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Marina E Wolf
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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14
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Zhuang X, Lemak J, Sridhar S, Nelson AB. Inhibition of Indirect Pathway Activity Causes Abnormal Decision-Making In a Mouse Model of Impulse Control Disorder in Parkinson's Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.19.581062. [PMID: 39554037 PMCID: PMC11565822 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.19.581062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
Healthy action selection relies on the coordinated activity of striatal direct and indirect pathway neurons. In Parkinson's disease (PD), in which loss of midbrain dopamine neurons is associated with progressive motor and cognitive deficits, this coordination is disrupted. Dopamine replacement therapy can remediate motor symptoms, but can also cause impulse control disorder (ICD), which is characterized by pathological gambling, hypersexuality, and/or compulsive shopping. The cellular and circuit mechanisms of ICD remain unknown. Here we developed a mouse model of PD/ICD, in which ICD-like behavior was assayed with a delay discounting task. We found that in parkinsonian mice, the dopamine agonist pramipexole drove more pronounced delay discounting, as well as disrupted firing in both direct and indirect pathway neurons. We found that chemogenetic inhibition of indirect pathway neurons in parkinsonian mice drove similar phenotypes. Together, these findings provide a new mouse model and insights into ICD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Zhuang
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Julia Lemak
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Sadhana Sridhar
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Alexandra B Nelson
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
- Lead Contact
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15
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Twedell EL, Bair-Marshall CJ, Girasole AE, Scaria LK, Sridhar S, Nelson AB. Striatal lateral inhibition regulates action selection in a mouse model of levodopa-induced dyskinesia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.11.617939. [PMID: 39416118 PMCID: PMC11482940 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.11.617939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) integrate multiple external inputs to shape motor output. In addition, MSNs form local inhibitory synaptic connections with one another. The function of striatal lateral inhibition is unknown, but one possibility is in selecting an intended action while suppressing alternatives. Action selection is disrupted in several movement disorders, including levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), a complication of Parkinson's disease (PD) therapy characterized by involuntary movements. Here, we identify chronic changes in the strength of striatal lateral inhibitory synapses in a mouse model of PD/LID. These synapses are also modulated by acute dopamine signaling. Chemogenetic suppression of lateral inhibition originating from dopamine D2 receptor-expressing MSNs lowers the threshold to develop involuntary movements in vivo, supporting a role in motor control. By examining the role of lateral inhibition in basal ganglia function and dysfunction, we expand the framework surrounding the role of striatal microcircuitry in action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Twedell
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Chloe J Bair-Marshall
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Allison E Girasole
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lara K Scaria
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sadhana Sridhar
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Alexandra B Nelson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
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16
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Abstract
The ways in which sensory stimuli acquire motivational valence through association with other stimuli is one of the simplest forms of learning. Although we have identified many brain nuclei that play various roles in reward processing, a significant gap remains in understanding how valence encoding transforms through the layers of sensory processing. To address this gap, we carried out a comparative investigation of the mouse anteromedial olfactory tubercle (OT), and the ventral pallidum (VP) - 2 connected nuclei of the basal ganglia which have both been implicated in reward processing. First, using anterograde and retrograde tracing, we show that both D1 and D2 neurons of the anteromedial OT project primarily to the VP and minimally elsewhere. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we then investigated how the identity of the odor and reward contingency of the odor are differently encoded by neurons in either structure during a classical conditioning paradigm. We find that VP neurons robustly encode reward contingency, but not identity, in low-dimensional space. In contrast, the OT neurons primarily encode odor identity in high-dimensional space. Although D1 OT neurons showed larger responses to rewarded odors than other odors, consistent with prior findings, we interpret this as identity encoding with enhanced contrast. Finally, using a novel conditioning paradigm that decouples reward contingency and licking vigor, we show that both features are encoded by non-overlapping VP neurons. These results provide a novel framework for the striatopallidal circuit in which a high-dimensional encoding of stimulus identity is collapsed onto a low-dimensional encoding of motivational valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghyung Lee
- University of California San Diego, Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological SciencesSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Nathan Lau
- University of California San Diego, Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological SciencesSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Lillian Liu
- University of California San Diego, Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological SciencesSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Cory M Root
- University of California San Diego, Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological SciencesSan DiegoUnited States
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17
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Bocarsly ME, Shaw MJ, Ventriglia E, Anderson LG, Goldbach HC, Teresi CE, Bravo M, Bock R, Hong P, Kwon HB, Khawaja IM, Raman R, Murray EM, Bonaventura J, Burke DA, Michaelides M, Alvarez VA. Preexisting risk-avoidance and enhanced alcohol relief are driven by imbalance of the striatal dopamine receptors in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:9093. [PMID: 39438478 PMCID: PMC11496688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53414-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is frequently comorbid with anxiety disorders, yet whether alcohol abuse precedes or follows the expression of anxiety remains unclear. Rodents offer control over the first drink, an advantage when testing the causal link between anxiety and AUD. Here, we utilized a risk-avoidance task to determine anxiety-like behaviors before and after alcohol exposure. We found that alcohol's anxiolytic efficacy varied among inbred mice and mice with high risk-avoidance showed heightened alcohol relief. While dopamine D1 receptors in the striatum are required for alcohol's relief, their levels alone were not correlated with relief. Rather, the ratio between striatal D1 and D2 receptors was a determinant factor for risk-avoidance and alcohol relief. We show that increasing striatal D1 to D2 receptor ratio was sufficient to promote risk-avoidance and enhance alcohol relief, even at initial exposure. Mice with high D1 to D2 receptor ratio were more prone to continue drinking despite adverse effects, a hallmark of AUD. These findings suggest that an anxiety phenotype may be a predisposing factor for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam E Bocarsly
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
| | - Marlisa J Shaw
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- NIH Academy Enrichment Program, Office of OITE, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emilya Ventriglia
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Hannah C Goldbach
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- National Institute on Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Catherine E Teresi
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Center on Compulsive Behaviors, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marilyn Bravo
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Roland Bock
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- National Institute on Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patrick Hong
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Han Bin Kwon
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Imran M Khawaja
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Rishi Raman
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Erin M Murray
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jordi Bonaventura
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dennis A Burke
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael Michaelides
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- National Institute on Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Center on Compulsive Behaviors, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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18
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Mews P, Van der Zee Y, Gurung A, Estill M, Futamura R, Kronman H, Ramakrishnan A, Ryan M, Reyes AA, Garcia BA, Browne CJ, Sidoli S, Shen L, Nestler EJ. Cell type-specific epigenetic priming of gene expression in nucleus accumbens by cocaine. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado3514. [PMID: 39365860 PMCID: PMC11451531 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado3514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
A hallmark of addiction is the ability of drugs of abuse to trigger relapse after periods of prolonged abstinence. Here, we describe an epigenetic mechanism whereby chronic cocaine exposure causes lasting chromatin and downstream transcriptional modifications in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a critical brain region controlling motivation. We link prolonged withdrawal from cocaine to the depletion of the histone variant H2A.Z, coupled with increased genome accessibility and latent priming of gene transcription, in D1 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1 MSNs) that relate to aberrant gene expression upon drug relapse. The histone chaperone ANP32E removes H2A.Z from chromatin, and we demonstrate that D1 MSN-selective Anp32e knockdown prevents cocaine-induced H2A.Z depletion and blocks cocaine's rewarding actions. By contrast, very different effects of cocaine exposure, withdrawal, and relapse were found for D2 MSNs. These findings establish histone variant exchange as an important mechanism and clinical target engaged by drugs of abuse to corrupt brain function and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yentl Van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashik Gurung
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hope Kronman
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meagan Ryan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Abner A. Reyes
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin A. Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Caleb J. Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medticine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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19
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Long C, Lee K, Yang L, Dafalias T, Wu AK, Masmanidis SC. Constraints on the subsecond modulation of striatal dynamics by physiological dopamine signaling. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1977-1986. [PMID: 38961230 PMCID: PMC11608082 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01699-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons play a crucial role in associative learning, but their capacity to regulate behavior on subsecond timescales remains debated. It is thought that dopaminergic neurons drive certain behaviors by rapidly modulating striatal spiking activity; however, a view has emerged that only artificially high (that is, supra-physiological) dopamine signals alter behavior on fast timescales. This raises the possibility that moment-to-moment striatal spiking activity is not strongly shaped by dopamine signals in the physiological range. To test this, we transiently altered dopamine levels while monitoring spiking responses in the ventral striatum of behaving mice. These manipulations led to only weak changes in striatal activity, except when dopamine release exceeded reward-matched levels. These findings suggest that dopaminergic neurons normally play a minor role in the subsecond modulation of striatal dynamics in relation to other inputs and demonstrate the importance of discerning dopaminergic neuron contributions to brain function under physiological and potentially nonphysiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charltien Long
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kwang Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Long Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Theresia Dafalias
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander K Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sotiris C Masmanidis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- California Nanosystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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20
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Xu Y, Lin Y, Yu M, Zhou K. The nucleus accumbens in reward and aversion processing: insights and implications. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1420028. [PMID: 39184934 PMCID: PMC11341389 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1420028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central component of the brain's reward circuitry, has been implicated in a wide range of behaviors and emotional states. Emerging evidence, primarily drawing from recent rodent studies, suggests that the function of the NAc in reward and aversion processing is multifaceted. Prolonged stress or drug use induces maladaptive neuronal function in the NAc circuitry, which results in pathological conditions. This review aims to provide comprehensive and up-to-date insights on the role of the NAc in motivated behavior regulation and highlights areas that demand further in-depth analysis. It synthesizes the latest findings on how distinct NAc neuronal populations and pathways contribute to the processing of opposite valences. The review examines how a range of neuromodulators, especially monoamines, influence the NAc's control over various motivational states. Furthermore, it delves into the complex underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disorders such as addiction and depression and evaluates prospective interventions to restore NAc functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kuikui Zhou
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
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21
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Hughes BW, Huebschman JL, Tsvetkov E, Siemsen BM, Snyder KK, Akiki RM, Wood DJ, Penrod RD, Scofield MD, Berto S, Taniguchi M, Cowan CW. NPAS4 supports cocaine-conditioned cues in rodents by controlling the cell type-specific activation balance in the nucleus accumbens. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5971. [PMID: 39117647 PMCID: PMC11310321 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50099-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Powerful associations that link drugs of abuse with cues in the drug-paired environment often serve as prepotent relapse triggers. Drug-associated contexts and cues activate ensembles of nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons, including D1-class medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that typically promote, and D2-class MSNs that typically oppose, drug seeking. We found that in mice, cocaine conditioning upregulated transiently the activity-regulated transcription factor, Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 4 (NPAS4), in a small subset of NAc neurons. The NPAS4+ NAc ensemble was required for cocaine conditioned place preference. We also observed that NPAS4 functions within NAc D2-, but not D1-, MSNs to support cocaine-context associations and cue-induced cocaine, but not sucrose, seeking. Together, our data show that the NPAS4+ ensemble of NAc neurons is essential for cocaine-context associations in mice, and that NPAS4 itself functions in NAc D2-MSNs to support cocaine-context associations by suppressing drug-induced counteradaptations that oppose relapse-related behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon W Hughes
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jessica L Huebschman
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Evgeny Tsvetkov
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Benjamin M Siemsen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kirsten K Snyder
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Rose Marie Akiki
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Daniel J Wood
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Rachel D Penrod
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Christopher W Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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22
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Lee D, Lau N, Liu L, Root CM. Transformation of valence signaling in a striatopallidal circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.01.551547. [PMID: 37577586 PMCID: PMC10418236 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.01.551547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The ways in which sensory stimuli acquire motivational valence through association with other stimuli is one of the simplest forms of learning. Though we have identified many brain nuclei that play various roles in reward processing, a significant gap remains in understanding how valence encoding transforms through the layers of sensory processing. To address this gap, we carried out a comparative investigation of the anteromedial olfactory tubercle (OT), and the ventral pallidum (VP) - 2 connected nuclei of the basal ganglia which have both been implicated in reward processing. First, using anterograde and retrograde tracing, we show that both D1 and D2 neurons of the anteromedial OT project primarily to the VP and minimally elsewhere. Using 2-photon calcium imaging, we then investigated how the identity of the odor and reward contingency of the odor are differently encoded by neurons in either structure during a classical conditioning paradigm. We find that VP neurons robustly encode reward contingency, but not identity, in low-dimensional space. In contrast, the OT neurons primarily encode odor identity in high-dimensional space. Although D1 OT neurons showed larger responses to rewarded odors than other odors, consistent with prior findings, we interpret this as identity encoding with enhanced contrast. Finally, using a novel conditioning paradigm that decouples reward contingency and licking vigor, we show that both features are encoded by non-overlapping VP neurons. These results provide a novel framework for the striatopallidal circuit in which a high-dimensional encoding of stimulus identity is collapsed onto a low-dimensional encoding of motivational valence.
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23
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Weber SJ, Kawa AB, Moutier AL, Beutler MM, Koyshman LM, Moreno CD, Westlake JG, Wunsch AM, Wolf ME. Dopamine transmission at D1 and D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens contributes to the expression of incubation of cocaine craving. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600812. [PMID: 38979157 PMCID: PMC11230461 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Relapse represents a consistent clinical problem for individuals with substance use disorder. In the incubation of craving model of persistent craving and relapse, cue-induced drug seeking progressively intensifies or 'incubates' during the first weeks of abstinence from drug self-administration and then remains high for months. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that expression of incubated cocaine craving requires strengthening of excitatory synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc). However, despite the importance of dopaminergic signaling in the NAcc for motivated behavior, little is known about the role that dopamine (DA) plays in the incubation of cocaine craving. Here we used fiber photometry to measure DA transients in the NAcc of male and female rats during cue-induced seeking tests conducted in early abstinence from cocaine self-administration, prior to incubation, and late abstinence, after incubation of craving has plateaued. We observed DA transients time-locked to cue-induced responding but their magnitude did not differ significantly when measured during early versus late abstinence seeking tests. Next, we tested for a functional role of these DA transients by injecting DA receptor antagonists into the NAcc just before the cue-induced seeking test. Blockade of either D1 or D2 DA receptors reduced cue-induced cocaine seeking after but not before incubation. We found no main effect of sex in our experiments. These results suggest that DA contributes to incubated cocaine seeking but the emergence of this role reflects changes in postsynaptic responsiveness to DA rather than presynaptic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia J Weber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Alex B Kawa
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Alana L Moutier
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Madelyn M Beutler
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Lara M Koyshman
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Cloe D Moreno
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Jonathan G Westlake
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Amanda M Wunsch
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Marina E Wolf
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
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24
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Brill-Weil SG, Kramer PF, Yanez A, Clever FH, Zhang R, Khaliq ZM. Presynaptic GABA A receptors control integration of nicotinic input onto dopaminergic axons in the striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.25.600616. [PMID: 39372741 PMCID: PMC11451734 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.25.600616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Axons of dopaminergic neurons express gamma-aminobutyric acid type-A receptors (GABAARs) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) which are both independently positioned to shape striatal dopamine release. Using electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we investigated how interactions between GABAARs and nAChRs influence dopaminergic axon excitability. Direct axonal recordings showed that benzodiazepine application suppresses subthreshold axonal input from cholinergic interneurons (CINs). In imaging experiments, we used the first temporal derivative of presynaptic calcium signals to distinguish between direct- and nAChR-evoked activity in dopaminergic axons. We found that GABAAR antagonism with gabazine selectively enhanced nAChR-evoked axonal signals. Acetylcholine release was unchanged in gabazine suggesting that GABAARs located on dopaminergic axons, but not CINs, mediated this enhancement. Unexpectedly, we found that a widely used GABAAR antagonist, picrotoxin, inhibits axonal nAChRs and should be used cautiously for striatal circuit analysis. Overall, we demonstrate that GABAARs on dopaminergic axons regulate integration of nicotinic input to shape presynaptic excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G. Brill-Weil
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Paul F. Kramer
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Anthony Yanez
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Faye H. Clever
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Renshu Zhang
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Zayd M. Khaliq
- Cellular Neurophysiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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25
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Correa A, Ponzi A, Calderón VM, Migliore R. Pathological cell assembly dynamics in a striatal MSN network model. Front Comput Neurosci 2024; 18:1410335. [PMID: 38903730 PMCID: PMC11188713 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2024.1410335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions the principal cells of the striatum, medium spiny neurons (MSNs), show structured cell assembly activity patterns which alternate sequentially over exceedingly long timescales of many minutes. It is important to understand this activity since it is characteristically disrupted in multiple pathologies, such as Parkinson's disease and dyskinesia, and thought to be caused by alterations in the MSN to MSN lateral inhibitory connections and in the strength and distribution of cortical excitation to MSNs. To understand how these long timescales arise we extended a previous network model of MSN cells to include synapses with short-term plasticity, with parameters taken from a recent detailed striatal connectome study. We first confirmed the presence of sequentially switching cell clusters using the non-linear dimensionality reduction technique, Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP). We found that the network could generate non-stationary activity patterns varying extremely slowly on the order of minutes under biologically realistic conditions. Next we used Simulation Based Inference (SBI) to train a deep net to map features of the MSN network generated cell assembly activity to MSN network parameters. We used the trained SBI model to estimate MSN network parameters from ex-vivo brain slice calcium imaging data. We found that best fit network parameters were very close to their physiologically observed values. On the other hand network parameters estimated from Parkinsonian, decorticated and dyskinetic ex-vivo slice preparations were different. Our work may provide a pipeline for diagnosis of basal ganglia pathology from spiking data as well as for the design pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Correa
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Adam Ponzi
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
- Center for Human Nature, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Vladimir M. Calderón
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Neurobiology Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Rosanna Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
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26
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Bezerra TO, Roque AC, Salum C. A Computational Model for the Simulation of Prepulse Inhibition and Its Modulation by Cortical and Subcortical Units. Brain Sci 2024; 14:502. [PMID: 38790479 PMCID: PMC11118907 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The sensorimotor gating is a nervous system function that modulates the acoustic startle response (ASR). Prepulse inhibition (PPI) phenomenon is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating, defined as the reduction of ASR when a high intensity sound (pulse) is preceded in milliseconds by a weaker stimulus (prepulse). Brainstem nuclei are associated with the mediation of ASR and PPI, whereas cortical and subcortical regions are associated with their modulation. However, it is still unclear how the modulatory units can influence PPI. In the present work, we developed a computational model of a neural circuit involved in the mediation (brainstem units) and modulation (cortical and subcortical units) of ASR and PPI. The activities of all units were modeled by the leaky-integrator formalism for neural population. The model reproduces basic features of PPI observed in experiments, such as the effects of changes in interstimulus interval, prepulse intensity, and habituation of ASR. The simulation of GABAergic and dopaminergic drugs impaired PPI by their effects over subcortical units activity. The results show that subcortical units constitute a central hub for PPI modulation. The presented computational model offers a valuable tool to investigate the neurobiology associated with disorder-related impairments in PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Ohno Bezerra
- Center of Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
| | - Antonio C. Roque
- Department of Physics, School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Salum
- Center of Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
- Interdisciplinary Applied Neuroscience Unit, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
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27
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Zachry JE, Kutlu MG, Yoon HJ, Leonard MZ, Chevée M, Patel DD, Gaidici A, Kondev V, Thibeault KC, Bethi R, Tat J, Melugin PR, Isiktas AU, Joffe ME, Cai DJ, Conn PJ, Grueter BA, Calipari ES. D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core have distinct and valence-independent roles in learning. Neuron 2024; 112:835-849.e7. [PMID: 38134921 PMCID: PMC10939818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
At the core of value-based learning is the nucleus accumbens (NAc). D1- and D2-receptor-containing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc core are hypothesized to have opposing valence-based roles in behavior. Using optical imaging and manipulation approaches in mice, we show that neither D1 nor D2 MSNs signal valence. D1 MSN responses were evoked by stimuli regardless of valence or contingency. D2 MSNs were evoked by both cues and outcomes, were dynamically changed with learning, and tracked valence-free prediction error at the population and individual neuron level. Finally, D2 MSN responses to cues were necessary for associative learning. Thus, D1 and D2 MSNs work in tandem, rather than in opposition, by signaling specific properties of stimuli to control learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Zachry
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hye Jean Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael Z Leonard
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dev D Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Anthony Gaidici
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kimberly C Thibeault
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rishik Bethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jennifer Tat
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Patrick R Melugin
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Atagun U Isiktas
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Denise J Cai
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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28
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Abstract
The striatal and pallidal complexes are basal ganglia structures that orchestrate learning and execution of flexible behavior. Models of how the basal ganglia subserve these functions have evolved considerably, and the advent of optogenetic and molecular tools has shed light on the heterogeneity of subcircuits within these pathways. However, a synthesis of how molecularly diverse neurons integrate into existing models of basal ganglia function is lacking. Here, we provide an overview of the neurochemical and molecular diversity of striatal and pallidal neurons and synthesize recent circuit connectivity studies in rodents that takes this diversity into account. We also highlight anatomical organizational principles that distinguish the dorsal and ventral basal ganglia pathways in rodents. Future work integrating the molecular and anatomical properties of striatal and pallidal subpopulations may resolve controversies regarding basal ganglia network function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Z Fang
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Meaghan C Creed
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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29
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Guerri L, Dobbs LK, da Silva e Silva DA, Meyers A, Ge A, Lecaj L, Djakuduel C, Islek D, Hipolito D, Martinez AB, Shen PH, Marietta CA, Garamszegi SP, Capobianco E, Jiang Z, Schwandt M, Mash DC, Alvarez VA, Goldman D. Low Dopamine D2 Receptor Expression Drives Gene Networks Related to GABA, cAMP, Growth and Neuroinflammation in Striatal Indirect Pathway Neurons. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:1104-1115. [PMID: 37881572 PMCID: PMC10593893 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A salient effect of addictive drugs is to hijack the dopamine reward system, an evolutionarily conserved driver of goal-directed behavior and learning. Reduced dopamine type 2 receptor availability in the striatum is an important pathophysiological mechanism for addiction that is both consequential and causal for other molecular, cellular, and neuronal network differences etiologic for this disorder. Here, we sought to identify gene expression changes attributable to innate low expression of the Drd2 gene in the striatum and specific to striatal indirect medium spiny neurons (iMSNs). Methods Cre-conditional, translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) was used to purify and analyze the translatome (ribosome-bound messenger RNA) of iMSNs from mice with low/heterozygous or wild-type Drd2 expression in iMSNs. Complementary electrophysiological recordings and gene expression analysis of postmortem brain tissue from human cocaine users were performed. Results Innate low expression of Drd2 in iMSNs led to differential expression of genes involved in GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) signaling, neural growth, lipid metabolism, neural excitability, and inflammation. Creb1 was identified as a likely upstream regulator, among others. In human brain, expression of FXYD2, a modulatory subunit of the Na/K pump, was negatively correlated with DRD2 messenger RNA expression. In iMSN-TRAP-Drd2HET mice, increased Cartpt and reduced S100a10 (p11) expression recapitulated previous observations in cocaine paradigms. Electrophysiology experiments supported a higher GABA tone in iMSN-Drd2HET mice. Conclusions This study provides strong molecular evidence that, in addiction, inhibition by the indirect pathway is constitutively enhanced through neural growth and increased GABA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Guerri
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lauren K. Dobbs
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Daniel A. da Silva e Silva
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Allen Meyers
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Aaron Ge
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Lea Lecaj
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Caroline Djakuduel
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Damien Islek
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dionisio Hipolito
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Abdiel Badillo Martinez
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Pei-Hong Shen
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Cheryl A. Marietta
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Susanna P. Garamszegi
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Enrico Capobianco
- Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Zhijie Jiang
- Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Melanie Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Deborah C. Mash
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Veronica A. Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Office of the Clinical Director, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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30
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Matsumura K, Nicot A, Choi IB, Asokan M, Le NN, Natividad L, Dobbs LK. Endogenous opioid system modulates conditioned cocaine reward in a sex-dependent manner. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13328. [PMID: 37753570 PMCID: PMC11974355 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine predictive cues and contexts exert powerful control over behaviour and can incite cocaine seeking and taking. This type of conditioned behaviour is encoded within striatal circuits, and these circuits and behaviours are, in part, regulated by opioid peptides and receptors expressed in striatal medium spiny neurons. We previously showed that augmenting levels of the opioid peptide enkephalin in the striatum facilitates acquisition of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP), while opioid receptor antagonists attenuate expression of cocaine CPP. However, whether striatal enkephalin is necessary for acquisition of cocaine CPP and maintenance during extinction remains unknown. To address this, we generated mice with a targeted deletion of enkephalin from dopamine D2-receptor expressing medium spiny neurons and tested them in a cocaine CPP paradigm. Low striatal enkephalin levels did not attenuate acquisition of CPP. However, expression of preference, assessed after acute administration of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, was blocked in females, regardless of genotype. When saline was paired with the cocaine context during extinction sessions, females, regardless of genotype, extinguished preference faster than males, and this was prevented by naloxone when paired with the cocaine context. We conclude that while striatal enkephalin is not necessary for acquisition, expression, or extinction of cocaine CPP, expression and extinction of cocaine preference in females is mediated by an opioid peptide other than striatal enkephalin. The unique sensitivity of females to opioid antagonists suggests sex should be a consideration when using these compounds in the treatment of cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Matsumura
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Amelia Nicot
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - In Bae Choi
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Meera Asokan
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nathan N. Le
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Luis Natividad
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Lauren K. Dobbs
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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31
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Yun S, Yang B, Anair JD, Martin MM, Fleps SW, Pamukcu A, Yeh NH, Contractor A, Kennedy A, Parker JG. Antipsychotic drug efficacy correlates with the modulation of D1 rather than D2 receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1417-1428. [PMID: 37443282 PMCID: PMC10842629 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01390-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Elevated dopamine transmission in psychosis is assumed to unbalance striatal output through D1- and D2-receptor-expressing spiny-projection neurons (SPNs). Antipsychotic drugs are thought to re-balance this output by blocking D2 receptors (D2Rs). In this study, we found that amphetamine-driven dopamine release unbalanced D1-SPN and D2-SPN Ca2+ activity in mice, but that antipsychotic efficacy was associated with the reversal of abnormal D1-SPN, rather than D2-SPN, dynamics, even for drugs that are D2R selective or lacking any dopamine receptor affinity. By contrast, a clinically ineffective drug normalized D2-SPN dynamics but exacerbated D1-SPN dynamics under hyperdopaminergic conditions. Consistent with antipsychotic effect, selective D1-SPN inhibition attenuated amphetamine-driven changes in locomotion, sensorimotor gating and hallucination-like perception. Notably, antipsychotic efficacy correlated with the selective inhibition of D1-SPNs only under hyperdopaminergic conditions-a dopamine-state-dependence exhibited by D1R partial agonism but not non-antipsychotic D1R antagonists. Our findings provide new insights into antipsychotic drug mechanism and reveal an important role for D1-SPN modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongsik Yun
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ben Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Justin D Anair
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Madison M Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stefan W Fleps
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Arin Pamukcu
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nai-Hsing Yeh
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anis Contractor
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ann Kennedy
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jones G Parker
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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32
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Isett BR, Nguyen KP, Schwenk JC, Yurek JR, Snyder CN, Vounatsos MV, Adegbesan KA, Ziausyte U, Gittis AH. The indirect pathway of the basal ganglia promotes transient punishment but not motor suppression. Neuron 2023; 111:2218-2231.e4. [PMID: 37207651 PMCID: PMC10524991 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetic stimulation of Adora2a receptor-expressing spiny projection neurons (A2A-SPNs) in the striatum drives locomotor suppression and transient punishment, results attributed to activation of the indirect pathway. The sole long-range projection target of A2A-SPNs is the external globus pallidus (GPe). Unexpectedly, we found that inhibition of the GPe drove transient punishment but not suppression of movement. Within the striatum, A2A-SPNs inhibit other SPNs through a short-range inhibitory collateral network, and we found that optogenetic stimuli that drove motor suppression shared a common mechanism of recruiting this inhibitory collateral network. Our results suggest that the indirect pathway plays a more prominent role in transient punishment than in motor control and challenges the assumption that activity of A2A-SPNs is synonymous with indirect pathway activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Isett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Katrina P Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jenna C Schwenk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeff R Yurek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christen N Snyder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maxime V Vounatsos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kendra A Adegbesan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ugne Ziausyte
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Aryn H Gittis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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33
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Petroccione MA, D'Brant LY, Affinnih N, Wehrle PH, Todd GC, Zahid S, Chesbro HE, Tschang IL, Scimemi A. Neuronal glutamate transporters control reciprocal inhibition and gain modulation in D1 medium spiny neurons. eLife 2023; 12:e81830. [PMID: 37435808 PMCID: PMC10411972 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the function of glutamate transporters has broad implications for explaining how neurons integrate information and relay it through complex neuronal circuits. Most of what is currently known about glutamate transporters, specifically their ability to maintain glutamate homeostasis and limit glutamate diffusion away from the synaptic cleft, is based on studies of glial glutamate transporters. By contrast, little is known about the functional implications of neuronal glutamate transporters. The neuronal glutamate transporter EAAC1 is widely expressed throughout the brain, particularly in the striatum, the primary input nucleus of the basal ganglia, a region implicated with movement execution and reward. Here, we show that EAAC1 limits synaptic excitation onto a population of striatal medium spiny neurons identified for their expression of D1 dopamine receptors (D1-MSNs). In these cells, EAAC1 also contributes to strengthen lateral inhibition from other D1-MSNs. Together, these effects contribute to reduce the gain of the input-output relationship and increase the offset at increasing levels of synaptic inhibition in D1-MSNs. By reducing the sensitivity and dynamic range of action potential firing in D1-MSNs, EAAC1 limits the propensity of mice to rapidly switch between behaviors associated with different reward probabilities. Together, these findings shed light on some important molecular and cellular mechanisms implicated with behavior flexibility in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Shergil Zahid
- SUNY Albany, Department of BiologyAlbanyUnited States
| | | | - Ian L Tschang
- SUNY Albany, Department of BiologyAlbanyUnited States
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34
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Truckenbrod LM, Betzhold SM, Wheeler AR, Shallcross J, Singhal S, Harden S, Schwendt M, Frazier CJ, Bizon JL, Setlow B, Orsini CA. Circuit and Cell-Specific Contributions to Decision Making Involving Risk of Explicit Punishment in Male and Female Rats. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4837-4855. [PMID: 37286352 PMCID: PMC10312052 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0276-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Decision making is a complex cognitive process that recruits a distributed network of brain regions, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). Recent work suggests that communication between these structures, as well as activity of cells expressing dopamine (DA) D2 receptors (D2R) in the NAcSh, are necessary for some forms of decision making; however, the contributions of this circuit and cell population during decision making under risk of punishment are unknown. The current experiments addressed this question using circuit-specific and cell type-specific optogenetic approaches in rats during a decision making task involving risk of punishment. In experiment 1, Long-Evans rats received intra-BLA injections of halorhodopsin or mCherry (control) and in experiment 2, D2-Cre transgenic rats received intra-NAcSh injections of Cre-dependent halorhodopsin or mCherry. Optic fibers were implanted in the NAcSh in both experiments. Following training in the decision making task, BLA→NAcSh or D2R-expressing neurons were optogenetically inhibited during different phases of the decision process. Inhibition of the BLA→NAcSh during deliberation (the time between trial initiation and choice) increased preference for the large, risky reward (increased risk taking). Similarly, inhibition during delivery of the large, punished reward increased risk taking, but only in males. Inhibition of D2R-expressing neurons in the NAcSh during deliberation increased risk taking. In contrast, inhibition of these neurons during delivery of the small, safe reward decreased risk taking. These findings extend our knowledge of the neural dynamics of risk taking, revealing sex-dependent circuit recruitment and dissociable activity of selective cell populations during decision making.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Until recently, the ability to dissect the neural substrates of decision making involving risk of punishment (risk taking) in a circuit-specific and cell-specific manner has been limited by the tools available for use in rats. Here, we leveraged the temporal precision of optogenetics, together with transgenic rats, to probe contributions of a specific circuit and cell population to different phases of risk-based decision making. Our findings reveal basolateral amygdala (BLA)→nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is involved in evaluation of punished rewards in a sex-dependent manner. Further, NAcSh D2 receptor (D2R)-expressing neurons make unique contributions to risk taking that vary across the decision making process. These findings advance our understanding of the neural principles of decision making and provide insight into how risk taking may become compromised in neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Truckenbrod
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | | | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610
| | | | - Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Neurology
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
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35
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Enriquez-Traba J, Yarur-Castillo HE, Flores RJ, Weil T, Roy S, Usdin TB, LaGamma CT, Arenivar M, Wang H, Tsai VS, Moritz AE, Sibley DR, Moratalla R, Freyberg ZZ, Tejeda HA. Dissociable control of motivation and reinforcement by distinct ventral striatal dopamine receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546539. [PMID: 37425766 PMCID: PMC10327105 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine release in striatal circuits, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), tracks separable features of reward such as motivation and reinforcement. However, the cellular and circuit mechanisms by which dopamine receptors transform dopamine release into distinct constructs of reward remain unclear. Here, we show that dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) signaling in the NAc drives motivated behavior by regulating local NAc microcircuits. Furthermore, D3Rs co-express with dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs), which regulate reinforcement, but not motivation. Paralleling dissociable roles in reward function, we report non-overlapping physiological actions of D3R and D1R signaling in NAc neurons. Our results establish a novel cellular framework wherein dopamine signaling within the same NAc cell type is physiologically compartmentalized via actions on distinct dopamine receptors. This structural and functional organization provides neurons in a limbic circuit with the unique ability to orchestrate dissociable aspects of reward-related behaviors that are relevant to the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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36
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Roman KM, Briscione MA, Donsante Y, Ingram J, Fan X, Bernhard D, Campbell SA, Downs AM, Gutman D, Sardar TA, Bonno SQ, Sutcliffe DJ, Jinnah HA, Hess EJ. Striatal Subregion-selective Dysregulated Dopamine Receptor-mediated Intracellular Signaling in a Model of DOPA-responsive Dystonia. Neuroscience 2023; 517:37-49. [PMID: 36871883 PMCID: PMC10085842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Although the mechanisms underlying dystonia are largely unknown, dystonia is often associated with abnormal dopamine neurotransmission. DOPA-responsive dystonia (DRD) is a prototype disorder for understanding dopamine dysfunction in dystonia because it is caused by mutations in genes necessary for the synthesis of dopamine and alleviated by the indirect-acting dopamine agonist l-DOPA. Although adaptations in striatal dopamine receptor-mediated intracellular signaling have been studied extensively in models of Parkinson's disease, another movement disorders associated with dopamine deficiency, little is known about dopaminergic adaptations in dystonia. To identify the dopamine receptor-mediated intracellular signaling associated with dystonia, we used immunohistochemistry to quantify striatal protein kinase A activity and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) phosphorylation after dopaminergic challenges in a knockin mouse model of DRD. l-DOPA treatment induced the phosphorylation of both protein kinase A substrates and ERK largely in D1 dopamine receptor-expressing striatal neurons. As expected, this response was blocked by pretreatment with the D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390. The D2 dopamine receptor antagonist raclopride also significantly reduced the phosphorylation of ERK; this contrasts with models of parkinsonism in which l-DOPA-induced ERK phosphorylation is not mediated by D2 dopamine receptors. Further, the dysregulated signaling was dependent on striatal subdomains whereby ERK phosphorylation was largely confined to dorsomedial (associative) striatum while the dorsolateral (sensorimotor) striatum was unresponsive. This complex interaction between striatal functional domains and dysregulated dopamine-receptor mediated responses has not been observed in other models of dopamine deficiency, such as parkinsonism, suggesting that regional variation in dopamine-mediated neurotransmission may be a hallmark of dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Roman
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Maria A Briscione
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yuping Donsante
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jordan Ingram
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xueliang Fan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Simone A Campbell
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anthony M Downs
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David Gutman
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tejas A Sardar
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sofia Q Bonno
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - H A Jinnah
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ellen J Hess
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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37
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Lark ARS, Silva LK, Nass SR, Marone MG, Ohene-Nyako M, Ihrig TM, Marks WD, Yarotskyy V, Rory McQuiston A, Knapp PE, Hauser KF. Progressive Degeneration and Adaptive Excitability in Dopamine D1 and D2 Receptor-Expressing Striatal Neurons Exposed to HIV-1 Tat and Morphine. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43:1105-1127. [PMID: 35695980 PMCID: PMC9976699 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01232-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The striatum is especially vulnerable to HIV-1 infection, with medium spiny neurons (MSNs) exhibiting marked synaptodendritic damage that can be exacerbated by opioid use disorder. Despite known structural defects in MSNs co-exposed to HIV-1 Tat and opioids, the pathophysiological sequelae of sustained HIV-1 exposure and acute comorbid effects of opioids on dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing (D1 and D2) MSNs are unknown. To address this question, Drd1-tdTomato- or Drd2-eGFP-expressing reporter and conditional HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice were interbred. MSNs in ex vivo slices from male mice were assessed by whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and filled with biocytin to explore the functional and structural effects of progressive Tat and acute morphine exposure. Although the excitability of both D1 and D2 MSNs increased following 48 h of Tat exposure, D1 MSN firing rates decreased below control (Tat-) levels following 2 weeks and 1 month of Tat exposure but returned to control levels after 2 months. D2 neurons continued to display Tat-dependent increases in excitability at 2 weeks, but also returned to control levels following 1 and 2 months of Tat induction. Acute morphine exposure increased D1 MSN excitability irrespective of the duration of Tat exposure, while D2 MSNs were variably affected. That D1 and D2 MSN excitability would return to control levels was unexpected since both subpopulations displayed significant synaptodendritic degeneration and pathologic phospho-tau-Thr205 accumulation following 2 months of Tat induction. Thus, despite frank morphologic damage, D1 and D2 MSNs uniquely adapt to sustained Tat and acute morphine insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna R S Lark
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Lindsay K Silva
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- PPD®, Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richmond, VA, 23230-3323, USA
| | - Sara R Nass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Michael G Marone
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Michael Ohene-Nyako
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Therese M Ihrig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - William D Marks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Viktor Yarotskyy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - A Rory McQuiston
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
| | - Pamela E Knapp
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Kurt F Hauser
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Molecular Medicine Research Building, Room 4040, 1220 East Broad Street, PO Box 980613, Richmond, VA, 23298-0613, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA.
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
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38
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Cheung THC, Ding Y, Zhuang X, Kang UJ. Learning critically drives parkinsonian motor deficits through imbalanced striatal pathway recruitment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213093120. [PMID: 36920928 PMCID: PMC10041136 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213093120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) loss in Parkinson's disease (PD) causes debilitating motor deficits. However, dopamine is also widely linked to reward prediction and learning, and the contribution of dopamine-dependent learning to movements that are impaired in PD-which often do not lead to explicit rewards-is unclear. Here, we used two distinct motor tasks to dissociate dopamine's acute motoric effects vs. its long-lasting, learning-mediated effects. In dopamine-depleted mice, motor task performance gradually worsened with task exposure. Task experience was critical, as mice that remained in the home cage during the same period were relatively unimpaired when subsequently probed on the task. Repeated dopamine replacement treatments acutely rescued deficits and gradually induced long-term rescue that persisted despite treatment withdrawal. Surprisingly, both long-term rescue and parkinsonian performance decline were task specific, implicating dopamine-dependent learning. D1R activation potently induced acute rescue that gradually consolidated into long-term rescue. Conversely, reduced D2R activation potently induced parkinsonian decline. In dopamine-depleted mice, either D1R activation or D2R activation prevented parkinsonian decline, and both restored balanced activation of direct vs. indirect striatal pathways. These findings suggest that reinforcement and maintenance of movements-even movements not leading to explicit rewards-are fundamental functions of dopamine and provide potential mechanisms for the hitherto unexplained "long-duration response" by dopaminergic therapies in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H. C. Cheung
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Yunmin Ding
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Xiaoxi Zhuang
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Un Jung Kang
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
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Sippy T, Tritsch NX. Unraveling the dynamics of dopamine release and its actions on target cells. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:228-239. [PMID: 36635111 PMCID: PMC10204099 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The neuromodulator dopamine (DA) is essential for regulating learning, motivation, and movement. Despite its importance, however, the mechanisms by which DA influences the activity of target cells to alter behavior remain poorly understood. In this review, we describe recent methodological advances that are helping to overcome challenges that have historically hindered the field. We discuss how the employment of these methods is shedding light on the complex dynamics of extracellular DA in the brain, as well as how DA signaling alters the electrical, biochemical, and population activity of target neurons in vivo. These developments are generating novel hypotheses about the mechanisms through which DA release modifies behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Sippy
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nicolas X Tritsch
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
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40
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Matsumura K, Choi IB, Asokan M, Le NN, Natividad L, Dobbs LK. Striatal enkephalin supports maintenance of conditioned cocaine reward during extinction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.23.529807. [PMID: 36865224 PMCID: PMC9980085 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.23.529807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Drug predictive cues and contexts exert powerful control over behavior and can incite drug seeking and taking. This association and the behavioral output are encoded within striatal circuits, and regulation of these circuits by G-protein coupled receptors affects cocaine-related behaviors. Here, we investigated how opioid peptides and G-protein coupled opioid receptors expressed in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) regulate conditioned cocaine seeking. Augmenting levels of the opioid peptide enkephalin in the striatum facilitates acquisition of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). In contrast, opioid receptor antagonists attenuate cocaine CPP and facilitate extinction of alcohol CPP. However, whether striatal enkephalin is necessary for acquisition of cocaine CPP and maintenance during extinction remains unknown. We generated mice with a targeted deletion of enkephalin from dopamine D2-receptor expressing MSNs (D2-PenkKO) and tested them for cocaine CPP. Low striatal enkephalin levels did not attenuate acquisition or expression of CPP; however, D2-PenkKOs showed faster extinction of cocaine CPP. Single administration of the non-selective opioid receptor antagonist naloxone prior to preference testing blocked expression of CPP selectively in females, but equally between genotypes. Repeated administration of naloxone during extinction did not facilitate extinction of cocaine CPP for either genotype, but rather prevented extinction in D2-PenkKO mice. We conclude that while striatal enkephalin is not necessary for acquisition of cocaine reward, it maintains the learned association between cocaine and its predictive cues during extinction learning. Further, sex and pre-existing low striatal enkephalin levels may be important considerations for use of naloxone in treating cocaine use disorder.
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Mews P, Cunningham AM, Scarpa J, Ramakrishnan A, Hicks EM, Bolnick S, Garamszegi S, Shen L, Mash DC, Nestler EJ. Convergent abnormalities in striatal gene networks in human cocaine use disorder and mouse cocaine administration models. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd8946. [PMID: 36763659 PMCID: PMC9916993 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add8946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is an intractable syndrome, and rising overdose death rates represent a substantial public health crisis that exacts tremendous personal and financial costs on patients and society. Sharp increases in cocaine use drive the urgent need for better mechanistic insight into this chronic relapsing brain disorder that currently lacks effective treatment options. To investigate the transcriptomic changes involved, we conducted RNA sequencing on two striatal brain regions that are heavily implicated in CUD, the nucleus accumbens and caudate nucleus, from men suffering from CUD and matched controls. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified CUD-specific gene networks enriched in ionotropic receptors and linked to lowered neuroinflammation, contrasting the proinflammatory responses found in opioid use disorder. Integration of comprehensive transcriptomic datasets from mouse cocaine self-administration models revealed evolutionarily conserved gene networks in CUD that implicate especially D1 medium spiny neurons as drivers of cocaine-induced plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashley M. Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Scarpa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily M. Hicks
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Bolnick
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susanna Garamszegi
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deborah C. Mash
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Chen LJ, Chen JR, Tseng GF. Modulation of striatal glutamatergic, dopaminergic and cholinergic neurotransmission pathways concomitant with motor disturbance in rats with kaolin-induced hydrocephalus. Fluids Barriers CNS 2022; 19:95. [PMID: 36437472 PMCID: PMC9701403 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-022-00393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hydrocephalus is characterized by abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles and causes motor impairments. The mechanisms underlying the motor changes remain elusive. Enlargement of ventricles compresses the striatum of the basal ganglia, a group of nuclei involved in the subcortical motor circuit. Here, we used a kaolin-injection juvenile rat model to explore the effects of acute and chronic hydrocephalus, 1 and 5 weeks post-treatment, respectively on the three major neurotransmission pathways (glutamatergic, dopaminergic and cholinergic) in the striatum. METHODS Rats were evaluated for motor impairments. Expressions of presynaptic and postsynaptic protein markers related to the glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and cholinergic connections in the striatum were evaluated. Combined intracellular dye injection and substance P immunohistochemistry were used to distinguish between direct and indirect pathway striatal medium spiny neurons (d and i-MSNs) for the analysis of their dendritic spine density changes. RESULTS Hydrocephalic rats showed compromised open-field gait behavior. However, male but not female rats displayed stereotypic movements and compromised rotarod performance. Morphologically, the increase in lateral ventricle sizes was greater in the chronic than acute hydrocephalus conditions. Biochemically, hydrocephalic rats had significantly decreased striatal levels of synaptophysin, vesicular glutamate transporter 1, and glutamatergic postsynaptic density protein 95, suggesting a reduction of corticostriatal excitation. The expression of GluR2/3 was also reduced suggesting glutamate receptor compositional changes. The densities of dendritic spines, morphological correlates of excitatory synaptic foci, on both d and i-MSNs were also reduced. Hydrocephalus altered type 1 (DR1) and 2 (DR2) dopamine receptor expressions without affecting tyrosine hydroxylase level. DR1 was decreased in acute and chronic hydrocephalus, while DR2 only started to decrease later during chronic hydrocephalus. Since dopamine excites d-MSNs through DR1 and inhibits i-MSNs via DR2, our findings suggest that hydrocephalus downregulated the direct basal ganglia neural pathway persistently and disinhibited the indirect pathway late during chronic hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus also persistently reduced the striatal choline acetyltransferase level, suggesting a reduction of cholinergic modulation. CONCLUSIONS Hydrocephalus altered striatal glutamatergic, dopaminergic, and cholinergic neurotransmission pathways and tipped the balance between the direct and indirect basal ganglia circuits, which could have contributed to the motor impairments in hydrocephalus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jin Chen
- grid.411824.a0000 0004 0622 7222Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Section 3, Jhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004 Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Rung Chen
- grid.260542.70000 0004 0532 3749Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Guo-Fang Tseng
- grid.411824.a0000 0004 0622 7222Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Section 3, Jhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004 Taiwan
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43
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Ma L, Day-Cooney J, Benavides OJ, Muniak MA, Qin M, Ding JB, Mao T, Zhong H. Locomotion activates PKA through dopamine and adenosine in striatal neurons. Nature 2022; 611:762-768. [PMID: 36352228 PMCID: PMC10752255 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05407-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The canonical model of striatal function predicts that animal locomotion is associated with the opposing regulation of protein kinase A (PKA) in direct and indirect pathway striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) by dopamine1-7. However, the precise dynamics of PKA in dorsolateral SPNs during locomotion remain to be determined. It is also unclear whether other neuromodulators are involved. Here we show that PKA activity in both types of SPNs is essential for normal locomotion. Using two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging8-10 of a PKA sensor10 through gradient index lenses, we measured PKA activity within individual SPNs of the mouse dorsolateral striatum during locomotion. Consistent with the canonical view, dopamine activated PKA activity in direct pathway SPNs during locomotion through the dopamine D1 receptor. However, indirect pathway SPNs exhibited a greater increase in PKA activity, which was largely abolished through the blockade of adenosine A2A receptors. In agreement with these results, fibre photometry measurements of an adenosine sensor11 revealed an acute increase in extracellular adenosine during locomotion. Functionally, antagonism of dopamine or adenosine receptors resulted in distinct changes in SPN PKA activity, neuronal activity and locomotion. Together, our results suggest that acute adenosine accumulation interplays with dopamine release to orchestrate PKA activity in SPNs and proper striatal function during animal locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ma
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Julian Day-Cooney
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Omar Jáidar Benavides
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Muniak
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Maozhen Qin
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Tianyi Mao
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Haining Zhong
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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44
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Florio E, Serra M, Lewis RG, Kramár E, Freidberg M, Wood M, Morelli M, Borrelli E. D2R signaling in striatal spiny neurons modulates L-DOPA induced dyskinesia. iScience 2022; 25:105263. [PMID: 36274959 PMCID: PMC9579025 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons leads to Parkinson's disease (PD), characterized by reduced levels of striatal dopamine (DA) and impaired voluntary movements. DA replacement is achieved by levodopa treatment which in long-term causes involuntary movements or dyskinesia. Dyskinesia is linked to the pulsatile activation of D1 receptors of the striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) forming the direct output pathway (dMSNs). The contribution of DA stimulation of D2R in MSNs of the indirect pathway (iMSNs) is less clear. Using the 6-hydroxydopamine model of PD, here we show that loss of DA-mediated inhibition of these neurons intensifies levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) leading to reprogramming of striatal gene expression. We propose that the motor impairments characteristic of PD and of its therapy are critically dependent on D2R-mediated iMSNs activity. D2R signaling not only filters inputs to the striatum but also indirectly regulates dMSNs mediated responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermanno Florio
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, INSERM U1233, Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, 308 Sprague Hall, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Marcello Serra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Robert G. Lewis
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, INSERM U1233, Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, 308 Sprague Hall, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Enikö Kramár
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 200 Qureshey Research Lab., Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael Freidberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, 1102 Natural Sciences II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Marcello Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 200 Qureshey Research Lab., Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Micaela Morelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
| | - Emiliana Borrelli
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, INSERM U1233, Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, 308 Sprague Hall, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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45
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Dai KZ, Choi IB, Levitt R, Blegen MB, Kaplan AR, Matsui A, Shin JH, Bocarsly ME, Simpson EH, Kellendonk C, Alvarez VA, Dobbs LK. Dopamine D2 receptors bidirectionally regulate striatal enkephalin expression: Implications for cocaine reward. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111440. [PMID: 36170833 PMCID: PMC9620395 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Low dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) availability in the striatum can predispose for cocaine abuse; though how low striatal D2Rs facilitate cocaine reward is unclear. Overexpression of D2Rs in striatal neurons or activation of D2Rs by acute cocaine suppresses striatal Penk mRNA. Conversely, low D2Rs in D2-striatal neurons increases striatal Penk mRNA and enkephalin peptide tone, an endogenous mu-opioid agonist. In brain slices, met-enkephalin and inhibition of enkephalin catabolism suppresses intra-striatal GABA transmission. Pairing cocaine with intra-accumbens met-enkephalin during place conditioning facilitates acquisition of preference, while mu-opioid receptor antagonist blocks preference in wild-type mice. We propose that heightened striatal enkephalin potentiates cocaine reward by suppressing intra-striatal GABA to enhance striatal output. Surprisingly, a mu-opioid receptor antagonist does not block cocaine preference in mice with low striatal D2Rs, implicating other opioid receptors. The bidirectional regulation of enkephalin by D2R activity and cocaine offers insights into mechanisms underlying the vulnerability for cocaine abuse. Low striatal D2 receptor levels are associated with cocaine abuse. Dai et al. bidirectionally alter striatal D2 receptor levels to probe the downstream mechanisms underlying this abuse liability. They provide evidence that enhanced enkephalin tone resulting from low D2 receptors is associated with suppressed intra-striatal GABA and potentiated cocaine reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Z Dai
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - In Bae Choi
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ryan Levitt
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mariah B Blegen
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alanna R Kaplan
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aya Matsui
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J Hoon Shin
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miriam E Bocarsly
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Brain Health Institute, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Eleanor H Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christoph Kellendonk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lauren K Dobbs
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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46
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Kaźmierczak M, Nicola SM. The Arousal-motor Hypothesis of Dopamine Function: Evidence that Dopamine Facilitates Reward Seeking in Part by Maintaining Arousal. Neuroscience 2022; 499:64-103. [PMID: 35853563 PMCID: PMC9479757 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine facilitates approach to reward via its actions on dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens. For example, blocking either D1 or D2 dopamine receptors in the accumbens reduces the proportion of reward-predictive cues to which rats respond with cued approach. Recent evidence indicates that accumbens dopamine also promotes wakefulness and arousal, but the relationship between dopamine's roles in arousal and reward seeking remains unexplored. Here, we show that the ability of systemic or intra-accumbens injections of the D1 antagonist SCH23390 to reduce cued approach to reward depends on the animal's state of arousal. Handling the animal, a manipulation known to increase arousal, was sufficient to reverse the behavioral effects of the antagonist. In addition, SCH23390 reduced spontaneous locomotion and increased time spent in sleep postures, both consistent with reduced arousal, but also increased time spent immobile in postures inconsistent with sleep. In contrast, the ability of the D2 antagonist haloperidol to reduce cued approach was not reversible by handling. Haloperidol reduced spontaneous locomotion but did not increase sleep postures, instead increasing immobility in non-sleep postures. We place these results in the context of the extensive literature on dopamine's contributions to behavior, and propose the arousal-motor hypothesis. This novel synthesis, which proposes that two main functions of dopamine are to promote arousal and facilitate motor behavior, accounts both for our findings and many previous behavioral observations that have led to disparate and conflicting conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Kaźmierczak
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Forchheimer 111, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Saleem M Nicola
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Forchheimer 111, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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47
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Shan Q, Fang Q, Tian Y. Evidence that GIRK Channels Mediate the DREADD-hM4Di Receptor Activation-Induced Reduction in Membrane Excitability of Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2084-2091. [PMID: 35766981 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The hM4Di receptor-based chemogenetic DREADD system has been widely used to suppress neuronal activities, which has contributed substantially to the identification of behavior-associated neuronal circuitries including those in the striatum. One major mechanism by which hM4Di receptor activation suppresses neuronal activity is that the activation reduces membrane excitability, which is thought to be mediated by the opening of GIRK channels. However, previous studies have suggested that GIRK channels are barely expressed in the striatum, which naturally raises the question whether the hM4Di receptor activation-induced reduction in membrane excitability found in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs, which constitute 95-98% of the striatal neuronal population) is truly mediated by the endogenous GIRK channels in such scarcity. This study aims to answer this question by applying a GIRK channel-selective blocker, tertiapin-Q (TPNQ), to striatal MSNs. This study first verified that application of clozapine (CZP), an hM4Di receptor agonist, to MSNs expressing the hM4Di receptors hyperpolarized the cell membrane, and reduced membrane excitability and input resistance. This study next revealed that TPNQ post-treatment completely canceled the above CZP-induced electrophysiological effects and that TPNQ pretreatment mostly prevented further expression of the above CZP-induced electrophysiological effects. In addition, confocal microscopy imaging also revealed significant above-background GIRK1 immunofluorescence signals in striatal MSNs. These data suggest that the TPNQ-sensitive GIRK channels, despite being expressed at low levels, are likely the major mediator downstream of hM4Di receptor activation to reduce membrane excitability in striatal MSNs. These results imply that the notion held by scientists in the field that GIRK channels are absent in the striatum or their expression level is not significant enough to exert any function might be oversimplified or incorrect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Shan
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
| | - Qimeng Fang
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China
| | - Yao Tian
- Chern Institute of Mathematics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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48
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Liang B, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Werner CT, Beacher NJ, Denman AJ, Li Y, Chen R, Gerfen CR, Barbera G, Lin DT. Striatal direct pathway neurons play leading roles in accelerating rotarod motor skill learning. iScience 2022; 25:104245. [PMID: 35494244 PMCID: PMC9046249 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Dorsal striatum is important for movement control and motor skill learning. However, it remains unclear how the spatially and temporally distributed striatal medium spiny neuron (MSN) activity in the direct and indirect pathways (D1 and D2 MSNs, respectively) encodes motor skill learning. Combining miniature fluorescence microscopy with an accelerating rotarod procedure, we identified two distinct MSN subpopulations involved in accelerating rotarod learning. In both D1 and D2 MSNs, we observed neurons that displayed activity tuned to acceleration during early stages of trials, as well as movement speed during late stages of trials. We found a distinct evolution trajectory for early-stage neurons during motor skill learning, with the evolution of D1 MSNs correlating strongly with performance improvement. Importantly, optogenetic inhibition of the early-stage neural activity in D1 MSNs, but not D2 MSNs, impaired accelerating rotarod learning. Together, this study provides insight into striatal D1 and D2 MSNs encoding motor skill learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, College of Engineering & Mines, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Lifeng Zhang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yan Zhang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Craig T. Werner
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Beacher
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alex J. Denman
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 100 N Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Charles R. Gerfen
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Building 49, Room 5A60, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Giovanni Barbera
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Da-Ting Lin
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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49
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Burke DA, Alvarez VA. Serotonin receptors contribute to dopamine depression of lateral inhibition in the nucleus accumbens. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110795. [PMID: 35545050 PMCID: PMC9171783 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine modulation of nucleus accumbens (NAc) circuitry is central to theories of reward seeking and reinforcement learning. Despite decades of effort, the acute dopamine actions on the NAc microcircuitry remain puzzling. Here, we dissect out the direct actions of dopamine on lateral inhibition between medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in mouse brain slices and find that they are pathway specific. Dopamine potently depresses GABAergic transmission from presynaptic dopamine D2 receptor-expressing MSNs (D2-MSNs), whereas it potentiates transmission from presynaptic dopamine D1 receptor-expressing MSNs (D1-MSNs) onto other D1-MSNs. To our surprise, presynaptic D2 receptors mediate only half of the depression induced by endogenous and exogenous dopamine. Presynaptic serotonin 5-HT1B receptors are responsible for a significant component of dopamine-induced synaptic depression. This study clarifies the mechanistic understanding of dopamine actions in the NAc by showing pathway-specific modulation of lateral inhibition and involvement of D2 and 5-HT1B receptors in dopamine depression of D2-MSN synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis A Burke
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Lovinger DM, Mateo Y, Johnson KA, Engi SA, Antonazzo M, Cheer JF. Local modulation by presynaptic receptors controls neuronal communication and behaviour. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:191-203. [PMID: 35228740 PMCID: PMC10709822 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00561-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Central nervous system neurons communicate via fast synaptic transmission mediated by ligand-gated ion channel (LGIC) receptors and slower neuromodulation mediated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors influence many neuronal functions, including presynaptic neurotransmitter release. Presynaptic LGIC and GPCR activation by locally released neurotransmitters influences neuronal communication in ways that modify effects of somatic action potentials. Although much is known about presynaptic receptors and their mechanisms of action, less is known about when and where these receptor actions alter release, especially in vivo. This Review focuses on emerging evidence for important local presynaptic receptor actions and ideas for future studies in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Yolanda Mateo
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kari A Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sheila A Engi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mario Antonazzo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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