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Wallace CW, Holleran KM, Slinkard CY, Centanni SW, Lapish CC, Jones SR. Kappa opioid receptors diminish spontaneous dopamine signals in awake mice through multiple mechanisms. Neuropharmacology 2025; 273:110458. [PMID: 40204058 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2025] [Accepted: 04/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/11/2025]
Abstract
The role of the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system in dopamine (DA) regulation has been extensively investigated. KOR activation reduces extracellular DA concentrations, but the exact mechanism(s) through which this is accomplished are not fully elucidated. To explore KOR influences on real-time DA fluctuations, we used the photosensor dLight1.2 with fiber photometry in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core of freely moving male and female C57BL/6J mice. First, we established that the rise and fall of spontaneously arising DA signals were due to DA release and reuptake, respectively. Next, mice were systemically administered the KOR agonist U50,488H in the presence or absence of the KOR antagonist aticaprant. U50,488H reduced both the amplitude and width of spontaneous signals in both sexes. Further, the slope of the correlation between amplitude and width was increased, indicating that DA uptake rates were increased. U50,488H also reduced the frequency of occurrence of signals in males and females. The effects of KOR activation were stronger in males, while effects of KOR antagonism were stronger in females. Overall, KORs exerted significant inhibitory control over spontaneous DA signaling, acting through at least three mechanisms - inhibiting DA release, promoting DA transporter-mediated uptake, and reducing the frequency of signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner W Wallace
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Clare Y Slinkard
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Samuel W Centanni
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Christopher C Lapish
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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2
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Saint-Georges Z, MacDonald J, Al-Khalili R, Hamati R, Solmi M, Keshavan MS, Tuominen L, Guimond S. Cholinergic system in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2025:10.1038/s41380-025-03023-y. [PMID: 40394282 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03023-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2025] [Accepted: 04/07/2025] [Indexed: 05/22/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Studies have shown widespread alterations in different components of the cholinergic system in schizophrenia, but to date the evidence has not been systematically reviewed and summarized. Here, we systematically review imaging and post-mortem studies on the central cholinergic system in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. SUBJECTS/METHODS Searches were performed in Embase and Medline. Study designs included cross-sectional case control studies comparing individuals with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder to control population. Risk of bias was assessed with the NIH/NHLBI tool for Quality Assessment of Case-Control Studies. The current study followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42023402126). RESULTS A total of 3259 studies were screened and 61 met eligibility criteria for the systematic review, including 8 in vivo neuroimaging and 53 post-mortem studies. About 74% of these studies described significant alterations, most often reductions in either muscarinic or nicotinic receptor levels in schizophrenia. We also conducted 3 meta-analyses showing reductions in M1/M4 muscarinic receptors in the striatum (g = -0.809, k = 3, n = 108), hippocampus (g = -0.872, k = 3, n = 84), and fronto-cingulate cortex (g = -0.438, k = 4, n = 295). Six neuroimaging studies reported associations with clinical symptom severity measures, and four investigations with cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Our review demonstrates a widespread decrease in muscarinic and nicotinic receptor levels in schizophrenia, evident in both neuroimaging and post-mortem studies. Our meta-analyses show large to moderate effects for the reductions in M1/M4 muscarinic receptors in the striatum, hippocampus, and fronto-cingulate cortex. Limitations and future directions for the field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zacharie Saint-Georges
- The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Julia MacDonald
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Roya Al-Khalili
- The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rami Hamati
- The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marco Solmi
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Synthia Guimond
- The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, University of Quebec in Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada.
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3
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Qi J, Schreiner DC, Martinez M, Pearson J, Mooney R. Dual neuromodulatory dynamics underlie birdsong learning. Nature 2025; 641:690-698. [PMID: 40074907 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08694-9] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2025] [Indexed: 03/14/2025]
Abstract
Although learning in response to extrinsic reinforcement is theorized to be driven by dopamine signals that encode the difference between expected and experienced rewards1,2, skills that enable verbal or musical expression can be learned without extrinsic reinforcement. Instead, spontaneous execution of these skills is thought to be intrinsically reinforcing3,4. Whether dopamine signals similarly guide learning of these intrinsically reinforced behaviours is unknown. In juvenile zebra finches learning from an adult tutor, dopamine signalling in a song-specialized basal ganglia region is required for successful song copying, a spontaneous, intrinsically reinforced process5. Here we show that dopamine dynamics in the song basal ganglia faithfully track the learned quality of juvenile song performance on a rendition-by-rendition basis. Furthermore, dopamine release in the basal ganglia is driven not only by inputs from midbrain dopamine neurons classically associated with reinforcement learning but also by song premotor inputs, which act by means of local cholinergic signalling to elevate dopamine during singing. Although both cholinergic and dopaminergic signalling are necessary for juvenile song learning, only dopamine tracks the learned quality of song performance. Therefore, dopamine dynamics in the basal ganglia encode performance quality during self-directed, long-term learning of natural behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxuan Qi
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Drew C Schreiner
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Miles Martinez
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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4
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Yu YM, Xia SH, Xu Z, Zhao WN, Song L, Pan X, Zhong CC, Wang D, Gao YH, Yang JX, Wu P, Zhang H, An S, Cao JL, Ding HL. An accumbal microcircuit for the transition from acute to chronic pain. Curr Biol 2025; 35:1730-1749.e5. [PMID: 40112811 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2025] [Accepted: 02/25/2025] [Indexed: 03/22/2025]
Abstract
Persistent nociceptive inputs arising from peripheral tissues or/and nerve injuries cause maladaptive changes in neurons or neural circuits in the central nervous system, which further confer acute injury into chronic pain transitions (pain chronification) even after the injury is resolved. However, the critical brain regions and their neural mechanisms involved in this transition have not yet been elucidated. Here, we reveal an accumbal microcircuit that is essential for pain chronification. Notably, the increase of neuronal activity in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcS) in the acute phase (<7 days) and in core (NAcC) in the chronic phase (14-21 days) was detected in a neuropathic pain mouse model. Importantly, we demonstrated that the NAcS neuronal activation in the acute phase of injury was necessary and sufficient for the development of chronic neuropathic pain. This process was mediated by the accumbal dopamine D2 receptor-expressing neuronal microcircuit from NAcS to NAcC. Thus, our findings reveal an accumbal microcircuit mechanism for pain chronification and suggest that the early intervention targeting this microcircuit may provide a therapeutic approach to pain chronification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Mei Yu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Sun-Hui Xia
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei-Nan Zhao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiangyu Pan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chao-Chao Zhong
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Di Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi-Hong Gao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun-Xia Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Wu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuming An
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China.
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5
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Corridori E, Salviati S, Begni V, Marchesin A, Gambarana C, Riva MA, Scheggi S. Restorative properties of chronic lurasidone treatment on emotional dysfunction in rats exposed to chronic unavoidable stress: A role for medial prefrontal cortex - nucleus accumbens network. Neuropharmacology 2025; 267:110302. [PMID: 39814132 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2024] [Revised: 12/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2025] [Indexed: 01/18/2025]
Abstract
Anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom prevalent in depressive and psychotic disorders, poses a significant challenge for pharmacological intervention due to its association with impaired motivation. Understanding how psychotropic drugs can modulate this pathological domain and elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects are crucial endeavors in psychiatric research. In this study, we aimed to investigate the pro-motivational properties of lurasidone in a rat (Sprague Dawley males) model of anhedonia and to unravel the interplay between lurasidone and the brain regions critical for reward processing. Exposure to unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) led to a marked reduction in motivation, a deficit that was restored by lurasidone treatment at 3 mg/kg, but not at 10 mg/kg. Interestingly, the stress-induced decrease in reactivity to negative stimuli was reversed by both doses of lurasidone. At the molecular level, stressed animals exhibited reduced expression of neuroplastic markers, that was increased following lurasidone administration. Furthermore, UCS exposure impaired the activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in response to hedonic stimuli, an effect amended by lurasidone treatment. Additionally, lurasidone restored the impaired phosphorylation of DARPP-32, a key regulator of dopamine signaling, in mPFC and NAc of UCS rats exposed to a hedonic stimulus. These findings underscore the potential of lurasidone in improving various psychopathological domains, like impaired motivation and emotional reactivity, core elements contributing to the disability associated with mental disorders. These effects highlight the therapeutic potential of lurasidone in addressing the intricate behavioral and neurochemical alterations associated with anhedonia and related mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Corridori
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Sara Salviati
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessia Marchesin
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Carla Gambarana
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
| | - Simona Scheggi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
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6
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Costa KM, Zhang Z, Deutsch D, Zhuo Y, Li G, Li Y, Schoenbaum G. Dopamine and acetylcholine correlations in the nucleus accumbens depend on behavioral task states. Curr Biol 2025; 35:1400-1407.e3. [PMID: 40037349 PMCID: PMC11948157 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.064] [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: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 12/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2025] [Indexed: 03/06/2025]
Abstract
Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) changes quickly in response to errors in predicting events like reward delivery1,2,3 but also slowly ramps up when animals are moving toward a goal.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 This ramping has attracted much recent attention, as there is controversy regarding its computational role5,7,9,11 and whether they are driven by dopamine neuron firing7,8,9 or local circuit mechanisms.5,6 If the latter is true, cholinergic transmission would be a prime candidate mechanism,12,13,14 and acetylcholine and dopamine signals should be positively correlated during behavior, particularly during motivated approach. However, in the dorsal striatum, striatal cholinergic interneurons typically "dip" their activity when reward or associated cues are presented, in opposition to dopamine,15,16,17,18 and acetylcholine and dopamine release is generally anti-correlated in vivo.19,20 Furthermore, acetylcholine and dopamine have opposing effects on downstream striatal projection neurons (SPNs),21,22 which suggests that cholinergic dips create a permissive window for dopamine to drive plasticity.23 These studies therefore suggest that dopamine and acetylcholine should be anti-correlated during behavior. We tested between these hypotheses by simultaneously recording accumbal dopamine and acetylcholine signals in rats executing a task involving motivated approach. We found that dopamine ramps were not coincidental with changes in acetylcholine. Instead, acetylcholine was positively, negatively, or uncorrelated with dopamine depending on the task phase. Our results suggest that accumbal dopamine and acetylcholine dynamics are largely independent but may combine to engage different postsynaptic mechanisms depending on task demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kauê Machado Costa
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35223, USA.
| | - Zhewei Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Douglas Deutsch
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Yizhou Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guochuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China; Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China; National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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7
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Faust TW, Mohebi A, Berke JD. Reward expectation and receipt differentially modulate the spiking of accumbens D1+ and D2+ neurons. Curr Biol 2025; 35:1285-1297.e3. [PMID: 40020662 PMCID: PMC11968066 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.02.007] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 10/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2025] [Indexed: 03/03/2025]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) helps govern motivation to pursue reward. Two distinct sets of NAc projection neurons-expressing dopamine D1 vs. D2 receptors-are thought to promote and suppress motivated behaviors, respectively. However, support for this conceptual framework is limited: in particular, the spiking patterns of these distinct cell types during motivated behavior have been largely unknown. Using optogenetic tagging, we recorded the spiking of identified D1+ and D2+ neurons in the NAc core as unrestrained rats performed an operant task in which motivation to initiate work tracks recent reward rate. D1+ neurons preferentially increased firing as rats initiated trials and fired more when reward expectation was higher. By contrast, D2+ cells preferentially increased firing later in the trial, especially in response to reward delivery-a finding not anticipated from current theoretical models. Our results provide new evidence for the specific contribution of NAc D1+ cells to self-initiated approach behavior and will spur updated models of how D2+ cells contribute to learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- T W Faust
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - A Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - J D Berke
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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8
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Loh MK, Hurh SJ, Bazzino P, Donka RM, Keinath AT, Roitman JD, Roitman MF. Dopamine activity encodes the changing valence of the same stimulus in conditioned taste aversion paradigms. eLife 2025; 13:RP103260. [PMID: 40042246 PMCID: PMC11882140 DOI: 10.7554/elife.103260] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2025] Open
Abstract
Mesolimbic dopamine encoding of non-contingent rewards and reward-predictive cues has been well established. Considerable debate remains over how mesolimbic dopamine responds to aversion and in the context of aversive conditioning. Inconsistencies may arise from the use of aversive stimuli that are transduced along different neural paths relative to reward or the conflation of responses to avoidance and aversion. Here, we made intraoral infusions of sucrose and measured how dopamine and behavioral responses varied to the changing valence of sucrose. Pairing intraoral sucrose with malaise via injection of lithium chloride (LiCl) caused the development of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA), which rendered the typically rewarding taste of sucrose aversive upon subsequent re-exposure. Following CTA formation, intraoral sucrose suppressed the activity of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons (VTADA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine release. This pattern of dopamine signaling after CTA is similar to intraoral infusions of innately aversive quinine and contrasts with responses to sucrose when it was novel or not paired with LiCl. Dopamine responses were negatively correlated with behavioral reactivity to intraoral sucrose and predicted home cage sucrose preference. Further, dopamine responses scaled with the strength of the CTA, which was increased by repeated LiCl pairings and weakened through extinction. Thus, the findings demonstrate differential dopamine encoding of the same taste stimulus according to its valence, which is aligned to distinct behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine K Loh
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Samantha J Hurh
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Paula Bazzino
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Rachel M Donka
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Alexandra T Keinath
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Jamie D Roitman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Mitchell F Roitman
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoUnited States
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9
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Verma A, Kumar A, Chauhan S, Sharma N, Kalani A, Gupta PC. Interconnections of screen time with neuroinflammation. Mol Cell Biochem 2025; 480:1519-1534. [PMID: 39316324 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-024-05123-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of screen time among modern citizens has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on neuroinflammation and overall brain health. This review examines the complex interconnections between screen time and neuroinflammatory processes, particularly in children and adolescents. We analyze existing literature that explores how excessive digital media use can lead to alterations in neurobiological pathways, potentially exacerbating inflammatory responses in the brain. Key findings suggest that prolonged exposure to screens may contribute to neuroinflammation through mechanisms such as disrupted sleep patterns, diminished cognitive engagement, and increased stress levels. Similarly, we discuss the implications of these findings for mental health and cognitive development, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to screen time. This review highlights the necessity for further research to elucidate the causal relationships and underlying mechanisms linking screen time and neuroinflammation, thereby informing guidelines for healthy media consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Verma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Anmol Kumar
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Satendra Chauhan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Nisha Sharma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Anuradha Kalani
- Disease Biology Lab, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Prakash Chandra Gupta
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India.
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10
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Prévost ED, Ward LA, Alas D, Aimale G, Ikenberry S, Fox K, Pelletier J, Ly A, Ball J, Kilpatrick ZP, Price K, Polter AM, Root DH. Untangling dopamine and glutamate in the ventral tegmental area. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.02.25.640201. [PMID: 40060543 PMCID: PMC11888473 DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.25.640201] [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: 03/15/2025]
Abstract
Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons are of great interest for their central roles in motivation, learning, and psychiatric disorders. While hypotheses of VTA dopamine neuron function posit a homogenous role in behavior (e.g., prediction error), they do not account for molecular heterogeneity. We find that glutamate-dopamine, nonglutamate-dopamine, and glutamate-only neurons are dissociable in their signaling of reward and aversion-related stimuli, prediction error, and electrical properties. In addition, glutamate-dopamine and nonglutamate-dopamine neurons differ in dopamine release dynamics. Aversion-related recordings of all dopamine neurons (not considering glutamate co-transmission) showed a mixed response that obscured dopamine subpopulation function. Within glutamate-dopamine neurons, glutamate and dopamine release had dissociable contributions toward reward and aversion-based learning and performance. Based on our results, we propose a new hypothesis on VTA dopamine neuron function: that dopamine neuron signaling patterns and their roles in motivated behavior depend on whether or not they co-transmit dopamine with glutamate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily D. Prévost
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Lucy A. Ward
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Daniel Alas
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Giulia Aimale
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Sara Ikenberry
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Katie Fox
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Julianne Pelletier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Annie Ly
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Jayson Ball
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Zachary P. Kilpatrick
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Center, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Kailyn Price
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052
| | - Abigail M. Polter
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052
| | - David H. Root
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO 80301
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11
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Loftén A, Cadeddu D, Danielsson K, Stomberg R, Adermark L, Söderpalm B, Ericson M. Reduced Alcohol Consumption Following Ablation of Cholinergic Interneurons in the Nucleus Accumbens of Wistar Rats. Addict Biol 2025; 30:e70022. [PMID: 39936333 PMCID: PMC11815332 DOI: 10.1111/adb.70022] [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: 11/22/2024] [Revised: 01/15/2025] [Accepted: 01/23/2025] [Indexed: 02/13/2025]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a severe mental health condition causing medical consequences and preterm death. Alcohol activates the mesolimbic dopamine system leading to an increase of extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens, an event that is associated with the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Cholinergic interneurons (CIN) are important modulators of accumbal DA signalling, and depletion of accumbal CIN attenuates the alcohol-induced increase in extracellular DA. The aim of this study was to explore the functional role of accumbal CIN in alcohol-related behaviour. To this end, ablation of CIN was induced by local administration of anticholine acetyltransferase-saporin bilaterally into the nucleus accumbens of male Wistar rats. Alcohol consumption in ablated and sham-treated rats was studied using a two-bottle-choice intermittent alcohol consumption paradigm. Rats with depleted CIN consumed significantly less alcohol than sham-treated controls. No differences in sucrose preference, motor activity, water intake or weight gain were noted between treatment groups, suggesting that the ablation selectively affected alcohol-related behaviour. In conclusion, this study further supports a role for accumbal CIN in regulating alcohol-consummatory behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Loftén
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- BeroendeklinikenSahlgrenska University HospitalGothenburgSweden
| | - Davide Cadeddu
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Klara Danielsson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Rosita Stomberg
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Louise Adermark
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Bo Söderpalm
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- BeroendeklinikenSahlgrenska University HospitalGothenburgSweden
| | - Mia Ericson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
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12
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Bouabid S, Zhang L, Vu MAT, Tang K, Graham BM, Noggle CA, Howe MW. Distinct spatially organized striatum-wide acetylcholine dynamics for the learning and extinction of Pavlovian associations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2024.07.10.602947. [PMID: 39071401 PMCID: PMC11275942 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.10.602947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Striatal acetylcholine (ACh) signaling has been proposed to counteract reinforcement signals to promote extinction and behavioral flexibility. ACh dips to cues and rewards may open a temporal window for associative plasticity to occur, while elevations may promote extinction. Changes in multi-phasic striatal ACh signals have been widely reported during learning, but how and where signals are distributed to enable region-specific plasticity for the learning and degradation of cue-reward associations is poorly understood. We used array fiber photometry in mice to investigate how ACh release across the striatum evolves during learning and extinction of Pavlovian associations. We report a topographic organization of opposing changes in ACh release to cues, rewards, and consummatory actions across distinct striatum regions. We localized reward prediction error encoding in particular phases of the ACh dynamics to a specific region of the anterior dorsal striatum (aDS). Positive prediction errors in the aDS were expressed in ACh dips, and negative prediction errors in long latency ACh elevations. Silencing aDS ACh release impaired behavioral extinction, suggesting a role for ACh elevations in down-regulating cue-reward associations. Dopamine release in aDS dipped for cues during extinction, but glutamate input onto cholinergic interneurons did not change, suggesting an intrastriatal mechanism for the emergence of ACh elevations. Our large scale measurements indicate how and where ACh dynamics can shape region-specific plasticity to gate learning and promote extinction of Pavlovian associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safa Bouabid
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liangzhu Zhang
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mai-Anh T. Vu
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kylie Tang
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin M. Graham
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christian A. Noggle
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark W. Howe
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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13
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Zhai S, Cui Q, Wokosin D, Sun L, Tkatch T, Crittenden JR, Graybiel AM, Surmeier DJ. State-dependent modulation of spiny projection neurons controls levodopa-induced dyskinesia in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.02.631090. [PMID: 39829758 PMCID: PMC11741361 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.02.631090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2025]
Abstract
In the later stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), patients often manifest levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), compromising their quality of life. The pathophysiology underlying LID is poorly understood, and treatment options are limited. To move toward filling this treatment gap, the intrinsic and synaptic changes in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) triggered by the sustained elevation of dopamine (DA) during dyskinesia were characterized using electrophysiological, pharmacological, molecular and behavioral approaches. Our studies revealed that the intrinsic excitability and functional corticostriatal connectivity of SPNs in dyskinetic mice oscillate between the on- and off-states of LID in a cell- and state-specific manner. Although triggered by levodopa, these rapid oscillations in SPN properties depended on both dopaminergic and cholinergic signaling. In a mouse PD model, disrupting M1 muscarinic receptor signaling specifically in iSPNs or deleting its downstream signaling partner CalDAG-GEFI blunted the levodopa-induced oscillation in functional connectivity, enhanced the beneficial effects of levodopa and attenuated LID severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenyu Zhai
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Qiaoling Cui
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 USA
| | - David Wokosin
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Linqing Sun
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Tatiana Tkatch
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 USA
| | - Jill R. Crittenden
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ann M. Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - D. James Surmeier
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 USA
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14
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Zhang Z, Costa KM, Zhuo Y, Li G, Li Y, Schoenbaum G. Accumbal acetylcholine signals associative salience. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.06.631529. [PMID: 39829875 PMCID: PMC11741319 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.06.631529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2025]
Abstract
Learning in dynamic environments requires animals to not only associate cues with outcomes but also to determine cue salience, which modulates how quickly related associations are updated. While dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) has been implicated in learning associations, the mechanisms of salience are less understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that acetylcholine (ACh) in the NAcc encodes cue salience. We conducted four odor discrimination experiments in rats while simultaneously measuring accumbal ACh and DA. We found that ACh developed characteristic dips to cues over learning before DA signals differentiated cues by value, with these dips persisting through value decreases and developing faster during meta-learning. The dips reflected the cue salience across learning stages and tasks, as predicted by a hybrid attentional associative learning model that integrated principles from the Mackintosh and Pearce-Hall models, suggesting that accumbal ACh signals encode salience and potentially gate the learning process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhewei Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Kauê Machado Costa
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yizhou Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Guochuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
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15
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Dvorak NM, Wadsworth PA, Aquino-Miranda G, Wang P, Engelke DS, Zhou J, Nguyen N, Singh AK, Aceto G, Haghighijoo Z, Smith II, Goode N, Zhou M, Avchalumov Y, Troendle EP, Tapia CM, Chen H, Powell RT, Baumgartner TJ, Singh J, Koff L, Di Re J, Wadsworth AE, Marosi M, Azar MR, Elias K, Lehmann P, Mármol Contreras YM, Shah P, Gutierrez H, Green TA, Ulmschneider MB, D'Ascenzo M, Stephan C, Cui G, Do Monte FH, Zhou J, Laezza F. Enhanced motivated behavior mediated by pharmacological targeting of the FGF14/Na v1.6 complex in nucleus accumbens neurons. Nat Commun 2025; 16:110. [PMID: 39747162 PMCID: PMC11696184 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55554-7] [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: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 12/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/04/2025] Open
Abstract
Protein/protein interactions (PPI) play crucial roles in neuronal functions. Yet, their potential as drug targets for brain disorders remains underexplored. The fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14)/voltage-gated Na+ channel 1.6 (Nav1.6) complex regulates excitability of medium spiny neurons (MSN) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central hub of reward circuitry that controls motivated behaviors. Here, we identified compound 1028 (IUPAC: ethyl 3-(2-(3-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-indol-1-yl)acetamido)benzoate), a brain-permeable small molecule that targets FGF14R117, a critical residue located within a druggable pocket at the FGF14/Nav1.6 PPI interface. We found that 1028 modulates FGF14/Nav1.6 complex assembly and depolarizes the voltage-dependence of Nav1.6 channel inactivation with nanomolar potency by modulating the intramolecular interaction between the III-IV linker and C-terminal domain of the Nav1.6 channel. Consistent with the compound's effects on Nav1.6 channel inactivation, 1028 enhances MSN excitability ex vivo and accumbal neuron firing rate in vivo in murine models. Systemic administration of 1028 maintains behavioral motivation preferentially during motivationally deficient conditions in murine models. These behavioral effects were abrogated by in vivo gene silencing of Fgf14 in the NAc and were accompanied by a selective reduction in accumbal dopamine levels during reward consumption in murine models. These findings underscore the potential to selectively regulate complex behaviors associated with neuropsychiatric disorders through targeting of PPIs in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan M Dvorak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Paul A Wadsworth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Guillermo Aquino-Miranda
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pingyuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Douglas S Engelke
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jingheng Zhou
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nghi Nguyen
- High-Throughput Research and Screening Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aditya K Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Giuseppe Aceto
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Zahra Haghighijoo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Isabella I Smith
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nana Goode
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Mingxiang Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Yosef Avchalumov
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Evan P Troendle
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London 7 Trinity Street, London, UK
| | - Cynthia M Tapia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Haiying Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Reid T Powell
- High-Throughput Research and Screening Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Timothy J Baumgartner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Jully Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Leandra Koff
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica Di Re
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Ann E Wadsworth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Mate Marosi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Marc R Azar
- Behavioral Pharma Inc., 505 Coast Blvd. South, Suite 212, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kristina Elias
- Behavioral Pharma Inc., 505 Coast Blvd. South, Suite 212, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Paul Lehmann
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | - Poonam Shah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Hector Gutierrez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Thomas A Green
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | - Marcello D'Ascenzo
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Clifford Stephan
- High-Throughput Research and Screening Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guohong Cui
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Fabricio H Do Monte
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jia Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Fernanda Laezza
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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16
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Lehmann CM, Miller NE, Nair VS, Costa KM, Schoenbaum G, Moussawi K. Generalized cue reactivity in rat dopamine neurons after opioids. Nat Commun 2025; 16:321. [PMID: 39747036 PMCID: PMC11697388 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55504-3] [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: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 12/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/04/2025] Open
Abstract
Cue reactivity is the maladaptive neurobiological and behavioral response upon exposure to drug cues and is a major driver of relapse. A widely accepted assumption is that drugs of abuse result in disparate dopamine responses to cues that predict drug vs. natural rewards. The leading hypothesis is that drug-induced dopamine release represents a persistently positive reward prediction error that causes runaway enhancement of dopamine responses to drug cues, leading to their pathological overvaluation. However, this hypothesis has not been directly tested. Here, we develop Pavlovian and operant procedures in male rats to measure firing responses within the same dopamine neurons to drug versus natural reward cues, which we find to be similarly enhanced compared to cues predicting natural rewards in drug-naive controls. This enhancement is associated with increased behavioral reactivity to the drug cue, suggesting that dopamine neuronal activity may still be relevant to cue reactivity, albeit not as previously hypothesized. These results challenge the prevailing hypothesis of cue reactivity, warranting revised models of dopaminergic function in opioid addiction, and provide insights into the neurobiology of cue reactivity with potential implications for relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin M Lehmann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
| | - Nora E Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
| | - Varun S Nair
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
| | - Kauê M Costa
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, 35233, USA
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, 21224, USA
| | - Khaled Moussawi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15219, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, 94158, USA.
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17
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Abstract
The incentive-sensitization theory (IST) of addiction was first published in 1993, proposing that (a) brain mesolimbic dopamine systems mediate incentive motivation ("wanting") for addictive drugs and other rewards, but not their hedonic impact (liking) when consumed; and (b) some individuals are vulnerable to drug-induced long-lasting sensitization of mesolimbic systems, which selectively amplifies their "wanting" for drugs without increasing their liking of the same drugs. Here we describe the origins of IST and evaluate its status 30 years on. We compare IST to other theories of addiction, including opponent-process theories, habit theories of addiction, and prefrontal cortical dysfunction theories of impaired impulse control. We also address critiques of IST that have been raised over the years, such as whether craving is important in addiction and whether addiction can ever be characterized as compulsive. Finally, we discuss several contemporary phenomena, including the potential role of incentive sensitization in behavioral addictions, the emergence of addiction-like dopamine dysregulation syndrome in medicated Parkinson's patients, the role of attentional capture and approach tendencies, and the role of uncertainty in incentive motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry E Robinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; ,
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; ,
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18
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Duhne M, Mohebi A, Kim K, Pelattini L, Berke JD. A mismatch between striatal cholinergic pauses and dopaminergic reward prediction errors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2410828121. [PMID: 39365823 PMCID: PMC11474027 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2410828121] [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: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Striatal acetylcholine and dopamine critically regulate movement, motivation, and reward-related learning. Pauses in cholinergic interneuron (CIN) firing are thought to coincide with dopamine pulses encoding reward prediction errors (RPE) to jointly enable synaptic plasticity. Here, we examine the firing of identified CINs during reward-guided decision-making in freely moving rats and compare this firing to dopamine release. Relationships between CINs, dopamine, and behavior varied strongly by subregion. In the dorsal-lateral striatum, a Go! cue evoked burst-pause CIN spiking, followed by a brief dopamine pulse that was unrelated to RPE. In the dorsal-medial striatum, this cue evoked only a CIN pause, that was curtailed by a movement-selective rebound in firing. Finally, in the ventral striatum, a reward cue evoked RPE-coding increases in both dopamine and CIN firing, without a consistent pause. Our results demonstrate a spatial and temporal dissociation between CIN pauses and dopamine RPE signals and will inform future models of striatal information processing under both normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Duhne
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Ali Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Kyoungjun Kim
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Lilian Pelattini
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Joshua D. Berke
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California, San Francisco, CA94107
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
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19
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Weiner SP, Carr KD. Behavioral tests of the insulin-cholinergic-dopamine link in nucleus accumbens and inhibition by high fat-high sugar diet in male and female rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 284:114647. [PMID: 39067780 PMCID: PMC11323239 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114647] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
It was previously shown in striatal slices obtained from male rats that insulin excites cholinergic interneurons and increases dopamine (DA) release via α4β2 nicotinic receptors on DA terminals. The effect of insulin on DA release was blocked either by maintaining rats on a high sugar-high fat (HS-HF) diet that induced hyperinsulinemia and nucleus accumbens (NAc) insulin receptor insensitivity, or applying the α4β2 antagonist DHβE. In vivo, NAc shell insulin inactivation decreased a glucose lick microstructure parameter indicative of hedonic impact in male and female rats, and prevented flavor-nutrient learning, tested only in males. The HS-HF diet decreased hedonic impact in males but not females, and prevented flavor-nutrient learning, tested only in males. The present study extends testing to more fully assess the translation of brain slice results to the behaving rat. Insulin inactivation by antibody microinjection in NAc shell was found to decrease the number of lick bursts emitted and average lick burst size, measures of incentive motivation and hedonic impact respectively, for a wide range of glucose concentrations in male and female rats. In contrast, the HS-HF diet decreased these lick parameters in males but not females. Follow-up two-bottle choice tests for 10 % versus 40 % glucose showed decreased intake of both concentrations by males but increased intake of 40 % glucose by females. In a further set of experiments, it was predicted that α4β2 receptor blockade would induce the same behavioral effects as insulin inactivation. In females, DHβE microinjection in NAc shell decreased both lick parameters for glucose as predicted, but in males only the number of lick bursts emitted was decreased. DHβE also decreased the number of lick bursts emitted for saccharin by females but not males. Finally, DHβE microinjection in NAc shell decreased flavor-nutrient learning in both sexes. The few discrepancies seen with regard to the hypothesized insulin-nicotinic-dopaminergic regulation of behavioral responses to nutritive sweetener, and its inhibition by HS-HF diet, are discussed with reference to sex differences in DA dynamics, female resistance to diet-induced metabolic morbidities, and extra-striatal cholinergic inputs to NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney P Weiner
- Departments of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 East 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kenneth D Carr
- Departments of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 East 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA; Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 East 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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20
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Kuiper LB, Dawes MH, West AM, DiMarco EK, Galante EV, Kishida KT, Jones SR. Comparison of dopamine release and uptake parameters across sex, species and striatal subregions. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:5113-5140. [PMID: 39161062 PMCID: PMC11632670 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16495] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
For over four decades, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has been used to selectively measure neurotransmitters such as dopamine (DA) with high spatial and temporal resolution, providing detailed information about the regulation of DA in the extracellular space. FSCV is an optimal method for determining concentrations of stimulus-evoked DA in brain tissue. When modelling diseases involving disturbances in DA transmission, preclinical rodent models are especially useful because of the availability of specialized tools and techniques that serve as a foundation for translational research. There is known heterogeneity in DA dynamics between and within DA-innervated brain structures and between males and females. However, systematic evaluations of sex- and species-differences across multiple areas are lacking. Therefore, using FSCV, we captured a broad range of DA dynamics across five sub-regions of the dorsal and ventral striatum of males and females of both rats and mice that reflect the functional heterogeneity of DA kinetics and dynamics within these structures. While numerous differences were found, in particular, we documented a strong, consistent pattern of increased DA transporter activity in females in all of the regions surveyed. The data herein are intended to be used as a resource for further investigation of DA terminal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey B. Kuiper
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Monica H. Dawes
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alyssa M. West
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Emily K. DiMarco
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Emma V. Galante
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kenneth T. Kishida
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sara R. Jones
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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21
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Olson KL, Ingebretson AE, Vogiatzoglou E, Mermelstein PG, Lemos JC. Cholinergic interneurons in the nucleus accumbens are a site of cellular convergence for corticotropin-releasing factor and estrogen regulation in male and female mice. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:4937-4953. [PMID: 39080914 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16477] [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: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) act as master regulators of striatal output, finely tuning neurotransmission to control motivated behaviours. ChIs are a cellular target of many peptide and hormonal neuromodulators, including corticotropin-releasing factor, opioids, insulin and leptin, which can influence an animal's behaviour by signalling stress, pleasure, pain and nutritional status. However, little is known about how sex hormones via estrogen receptors influence the function of these other neuromodulators. Here, we performed in situ hybridisation on mouse striatal tissue to characterise the effect of sex and sex hormones on choline acetyltransferase (Chat), estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1) and corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor (Crhr1) expression. Although we did not detect sex differences in ChAT protein levels in the dorsal striatum or nucleus accumbens, we found that female mice have more Chat mRNA-expressing neurons than males in both the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens. At the population level, we observed a sexually dimorphic distribution of Esr1- and Crhr1-expressing ChIs in the ventral striatum that was negatively correlated in intact females, which was abolished by ovariectomy and not present in males. Only in the NAc did we find a significant population of ChIs that co-express Crhr1 and Esr1 in females and to a lesser extent in males. At the cellular level, Crhr1 and Esr1 transcript levels were negatively correlated only during the estrus phase in females, indicating that changes in sex hormone levels can modulate the interaction between Crhr1 and Esr1 mRNA levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra L Olson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anna E Ingebretson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Eleftheria Vogiatzoglou
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Julia C Lemos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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22
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Borland JM. The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105809. [PMID: 39004323 PMCID: PMC11771367 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105809] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
BORLAND, J.M., The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents, NEUROSCI BIOBEH REV 21(1) XXX-XXX, 2024.-Sociality shapes an organisms' life. The nucleus accumbens is a critical brain region for mental health. In the following review, the effects of different types of social interactions on the physiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens is synthesized. More specifically, the effects of sex behavior, aggression, social defeat, pair-bonding, play behavior, affiliative interactions, parental behaviors, the isolation from social interactions and maternal separation on measures of excitatory synaptic transmission, intracellular signaling and factors of transcription and translation in neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodent models are reviewed. Similarities and differences in effects depending on the type of social interaction is then discussed. This review improves the understanding of the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of sociality.
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23
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Beane CR, Lewis DG, Bruns Vi N, Pikus KL, Durfee MH, Zegarelli RA, Perry TW, Sandoval O, Radke AK. Cholinergic mu-opioid receptor deletion alters reward preference and aversion-resistance. Neuropharmacology 2024; 255:110019. [PMID: 38810926 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110019] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system has been implicated in alcohol consumption and preference in both humans and animals. The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is expressed on multiple cells in the striatum, however little is known about the contributions of specific MOR populations to alcohol drinking behaviors. The current study used mice with a genetic deletion of MOR in cholinergic cells (ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl) to examine the role of MORs expressed in cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in home cage self-administration paradigms. Male and female ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl mice were generated and heterozygous Cre+ (knockout) and Cre- (control) mice were tested for alcohol consumption in two drinking paradigms: limited access "Drinking in the Dark" and intermittent access. Quinine was added to the drinking bottles in the DID experiment to test aversion-resistant, "compulsive" drinking. Nicotine and sucrose drinking were also assessed so comparisons could be made with other rewarding substances. Cholinergic MOR deletion did not influence consumption or preference for ethanol (EtOH) in either drinking task. Differences were observed in aversion-resistance in males with Cre + mice tolerating lower concentrations of quinine than Cre-. In contrast to EtOH, preference for nicotine was reduced following cholinergic MOR deletion while sucrose consumption and preference was increased in Cre+ (vs. Cre-) females. Locomotor activity was also greater in females following the deletion. These results suggest that cholinergic MORs participate in preference for rewarding substances. Further, while they are not required for consumption of alcohol alone, cholinergic MORs may influence the tendency to drink despite negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cambria R Beane
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Delainey G Lewis
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Nicolaus Bruns Vi
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Kat L Pikus
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Mary H Durfee
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Roman A Zegarelli
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Thomas W Perry
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Oscar Sandoval
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
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24
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Runyon K, Bui T, Mazanek S, Hartle A, Marschalko K, Howe WM. Distinct cholinergic circuits underlie discrete effects of reward on attention. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1429316. [PMID: 39268248 PMCID: PMC11390659 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1429316] [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: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Attention and reward are functions that are critical for the control of behavior, and massive multi-region neural systems have evolved to support the discrete computations associated with each. Previous research has also identified that attention and reward interact, though our understanding of the neural mechanisms that mediate this interplay is incomplete. Here, we review the basic neuroanatomy of attention, reward, and cholinergic systems. We then examine specific contexts in which attention and reward computations interact. Building on this work, we propose two discrete neural circuits whereby acetylcholine, released from cell groups located in different parts of the brain, mediates the impact of stimulus-reward associations as well as motivation on attentional control. We conclude by examining these circuits as a potential shared loci of dysfunction across diseases states associated with deficits in attention and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Runyon
- School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Tung Bui
- School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Sarah Mazanek
- School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Alec Hartle
- School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Katie Marschalko
- School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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25
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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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26
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Ingebretson AE, Alonso-Caraballo Y, Razidlo JA, Lemos JC. Corticotropin releasing factor alters the functional diversity of accumbal cholinergic interneurons. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:403-417. [PMID: 39106208 PMCID: PMC11427051 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00348.2023] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) provide the main source of acetylcholine in the striatum and have emerged as a critical modulator of behavioral flexibility, motivation, and associative learning. In the dorsal striatum (DS), ChIs display heterogeneous firing patterns. Here, we investigated the spontaneous firing patterns of ChIs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell, a region of the ventral striatum. We identified four distinct ChI firing signatures: regular single-spiking, irregular single-spiking, rhythmic bursting, and a mixed-mode pattern composed of bursting activity and regular single spiking. ChIs from females had lower firing rates compared with males and had both a higher proportion of mixed-mode firing patterns and a lower proportion of regular single-spiking neurons compared with males. We further observed that across the estrous cycle, the diestrus phase was characterized by higher proportions of irregular ChI firing patterns compared with other phases. Using pooled data from males and females, we examined how the stress-associated neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) impacts these firing patterns. ChI firing patterns showed differential sensitivity to CRF. This translated into differential ChI sensitivity to CRF across the estrous cycle. Furthermore, CRF shifted the proportion of ChI firing patterns toward more regular spiking activity over bursting patterns. Finally, we found that repeated stressor exposure altered ChI firing patterns and sensitivity to CRF in the NAc core, but not the NAc shell. These findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of ChI firing patterns, which may have implications for accumbal-dependent motivated behaviors.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) within the dorsal and ventral striatum can exert a major influence on network output and motivated behaviors. However, the firing patterns and neuromodulation of ChIs within the ventral striatum, specifically the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell, are understudied. Here, we report that NAc shell ChIs have heterogeneous ChI firing patterns that are labile and can be modulated by the stress-linked neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and by the estrous cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Ingebretson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Yanaira Alonso-Caraballo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - John A Razidlo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Julia C Lemos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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27
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Labouesse MA, Wilhelm M, Kagiampaki Z, Yee AG, Denis R, Harada M, Gresch A, Marinescu AM, Otomo K, Curreli S, Serratosa Capdevila L, Zhou X, Cola RB, Ravotto L, Glück C, Cherepanov S, Weber B, Zhou X, Katner J, Svensson KA, Fellin T, Trudeau LE, Ford CP, Sych Y, Patriarchi T. A chemogenetic approach for dopamine imaging with tunable sensitivity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5551. [PMID: 38956067 PMCID: PMC11219860 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49442-3] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetically-encoded dopamine (DA) sensors enable high-resolution imaging of DA release, but their ability to detect a wide range of extracellular DA levels, especially tonic versus phasic DA release, is limited by their intrinsic affinity. Here we show that a human-selective dopamine receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM) can be used to boost sensor affinity on-demand. The PAM enhances DA detection sensitivity across experimental preparations (in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo) via one-photon or two-photon imaging. In vivo photometry-based detection of optogenetically-evoked DA release revealed that DETQ administration produces a stable 31 minutes window of potentiation without effects on animal behavior. The use of the PAM revealed region-specific and metabolic state-dependent differences in tonic DA levels and enhanced single-trial detection of behavior-evoked phasic DA release in cortex and striatum. Our chemogenetic strategy can potently and flexibly tune DA imaging sensitivity and reveal multi-modal (tonic/phasic) DA signaling across preparations and imaging approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Labouesse
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Wilhelm
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute for Neuroscience, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Andrew G Yee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Raphaelle Denis
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, SNC and CIRCA Research groups, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, SNC and CIRCA Research groups, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Masaya Harada
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Gresch
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Kanako Otomo
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastiano Curreli
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Xuehan Zhou
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Reto B Cola
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Ravotto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Chaim Glück
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stanislav Cherepanov
- Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Bruno Weber
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xin Zhou
- Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | | | | | - Tommaso Fellin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Louis-Eric Trudeau
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, SNC and CIRCA Research groups, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, SNC and CIRCA Research groups, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christopher P Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yaroslav Sych
- Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tommaso Patriarchi
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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28
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Lehmann CM, Miller NE, Nair VS, Costa KM, Schoenbaum G, Moussawi K. Generalized cue reactivity in dopamine neurons after opioids. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.02.597025. [PMID: 38853878 PMCID: PMC11160774 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.02.597025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Cue reactivity is the maladaptive neurobiological and behavioral response upon exposure to drug cues and is a major driver of relapse. The leading hypothesis is that dopamine release by addictive drugs represents a persistently positive reward prediction error that causes runaway enhancement of dopamine responses to drug cues, leading to their pathological overvaluation compared to non-drug reward alternatives. However, this hypothesis has not been directly tested. Here we developed Pavlovian and operant procedures to measure firing responses, within the same dopamine neurons, to drug versus natural reward cues, which we found to be similarly enhanced compared to cues predicting natural rewards in drug-naïve controls. This enhancement was associated with increased behavioral reactivity to the drug cue, suggesting that dopamine release is still critical to cue reactivity, albeit not as previously hypothesized. These results challenge the prevailing hypothesis of cue reactivity, warranting new models of dopaminergic function in drug addiction, and provide critical insights into the neurobiology of cue reactivity with potential implications for relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin M. Lehmann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
| | - Nora E. Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
| | - Varun S. Nair
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
| | - Kauê M. Costa
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham, 35233, USA
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health; Baltimore, 21224, USA
| | - Khaled Moussawi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, 15219, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco; San Francisco, 94158, USA
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29
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Ingebretson AE, Alonso-Caraballo Y, Razidlo JA, Lemos JC. Corticotropin releasing factor alters the functional diversity of accumbal cholinergic interneurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.17.558116. [PMID: 37745598 PMCID: PMC10516029 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.17.558116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) provide the main source of acetylcholine in the striatum and have emerged as a critical modulator of behavioral flexibility, motivation, and associative learning. In the dorsal striatum, ChIs display heterogeneous firing patterns. Here, we investigated the spontaneous firing patterns of ChIs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell, a region of the ventral striatum. We identified four distinct ChI firing signatures: regular single-spiking, irregular single-spiking, rhythmic bursting, and a mixed-mode pattern composed of bursting activity and regular single spiking. ChIs from females had lower firing rates compared to males and had both a higher proportion of mixed-mode firing patterns and a lower proportion of regular single-spiking neurons compared to males. We further observed that across the estrous cycle, the diestrus phase was characterized by higher proportions of irregular ChI firing patterns compared to other phases. Using pooled data from males and females, we examined how the stress-associated neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) impacts these firing patterns. ChI firing patterns showed differential sensitivity to CRF. This translated into differential ChI sensitivity to CRF across the estrous cycle. Furthermore, CRF shifted the proportion of ChI firing patterns toward more regular spiking activity over bursting patterns. Finally, we found that repeated stressor exposure altered ChI firing patterns and sensitivity to CRF in the NAc core, but not the NAc shell. These findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of ChI firing patterns, which may have implications for accumbal-dependent motivated behaviors.
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30
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Taniguchi J, Melani R, Chantranupong L, Wen MJ, Mohebi A, Berke JD, Sabatini BL, Tritsch NX. Comment on 'Accumbens cholinergic interneurons dynamically promote dopamine release and enable motivation'. eLife 2024; 13:e95694. [PMID: 38748470 PMCID: PMC11095934 DOI: 10.7554/elife.95694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is widely believed to modulate the release of dopamine in the striatum of mammals. Experiments in brain slices clearly show that synchronous activation of striatal cholinergic interneurons is sufficient to drive dopamine release via axo-axonal stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. However, evidence for this mechanism in vivo has been less forthcoming. Mohebi, Collins and Berke recently reported that, in awake behaving rats, optogenetic activation of striatal cholinergic interneurons with blue light readily evokes dopamine release measured with the red fluorescent sensor RdLight1 (Mohebi et al., 2023). Here, we show that blue light alone alters the fluorescent properties of RdLight1 in a manner that may be misconstrued as phasic dopamine release, and that this artefactual photoactivation can account for the effects attributed to cholinergic interneurons. Our findings indicate that measurements of dopamine using the red-shifted fluorescent sensor RdLight1 should be interpreted with caution when combined with optogenetics. In light of this and other publications that did not observe large acetylcholine-evoked dopamine transients in vivo, the conditions under which such release occurs in behaving animals remain unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Taniguchi
- Neuroscience Institute and Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, University Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Riccardo Melani
- Neuroscience Institute and Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, University Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Lynne Chantranupong
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Michelle J Wen
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Ali Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Joshua D Berke
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Nicolas X Tritsch
- Neuroscience Institute and Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, University Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
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31
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Costa KM, Zhang Z, Zhuo Y, Li G, Li Y, Schoenbaum G. Dopamine and acetylcholine correlations in the nucleus accumbens depend on behavioral task states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592439. [PMID: 38746204 PMCID: PMC11092761 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens ramps up as animals approach desired goals. These ramps have received intense scrutiny because they seem to violate long-held hypotheses on dopamine function. Furthermore, it has been proposed that they are driven by local acetylcholine release, i.e., that they are mechanistically separate from dopamine signals related to reward prediction errors. Here, we tested this hypothesis by simultaneously recording accumbal dopamine and acetylcholine signals in rats executing a task involving motivated approach. Contrary to recent reports, we found that dopamine ramps were not coincidental with changes in acetylcholine. Instead, we found that acetylcholine could be positively, negatively, or uncorrelated with dopamine depending on whether the task phase was determined by a salient cue, reward prediction error, or active approach, respectively. Our results suggest that accumbal dopamine and acetylcholine are largely independent but may combine to engage different postsynaptic mechanisms depending on the behavioral task states.
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32
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Beane CR, Lewis DG, Bruns NK, Pikus KL, Durfee MH, Zegarelli RA, Perry TW, Sandoval O, Radke AK. Cholinergic mu-opioid receptor deletion alters reward preference and aversion-resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.13.566881. [PMID: 38014065 PMCID: PMC10680803 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.566881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Heavy alcohol use and binge drinking are important contributors to alcohol use disorder (AUD). The endogenous opioid system has been implicated in alcohol consumption and preference in both humans and animals. The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is expressed on multiple cells in the striatum, however little is known about the contributions of specific MOR populations to alcohol drinking behaviors. The current study used mice with a genetic deletion of MOR in cholinergic cells (ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl) to examine the role of MORs expressed in cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in home cage self-administration paradigms. Male and female ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl mice were generated and heterozygous Cre+ (knockout) and Cre- (control) mice were tested for alcohol and nicotine consumption. In Experiment 1, binge-like and quinine-resistant drinking was tested using 15% ethanol (EtOH) in a two-bottle, limited-access Drinking in the Dark paradigm. Experiment 2 involved a six-week intermittent access paradigm in which mice received 20% EtOH, nicotine, and then a combination of the two drugs. Experiment 3 assessed locomotor activity, sucrose preference, and quinine sensitivity. Deleting MORs in cholinergic cells did not alter consumption of EtOH in Experiment 1 or 2. In Experiment 1, the MOR deletion resulted in greater consumption of quinine-adulterated EtOH in male Cre+ mice (vs. Cre-). In Experiment 2, Cre+ mice demonstrated a significantly lower preference for nicotine but did not differ from Cre- mice in nicotine or nicotine + EtOH consumption. Overall fluid consumption was also heightened in the Cre+ mice. In Experiment 3, Cre+ females were found to have greater locomotor activity and preference for sucrose vs. Cre- mice. These data suggest that cholinergic MORs are not required for EtOH, drinking behaviors but may contribute to aversion resistant EtOH drinking in a sex-dependent manner.
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Olson K, Ingebretson AE, Vogiatzoglou E, Mermelstein PG, Lemos JC. Cholinergic interneurons in the nucleus accumbens are a site of cellular convergence for corticotropin release factor and estrogen regulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.13.589360. [PMID: 38659848 PMCID: PMC11042197 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.13.589360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) act as master regulators of striatal output, finely tuning neurotransmission to control motivated behaviors. ChIs are a cellular target of many peptide and hormonal neuromodulators, including corticotropin releasing factor, opioids, insulin and leptin, which can influence an animal's behavior by signaling stress, pleasure, pain and nutritional status. However, little is known about how sex hormones via estrogen receptors influence the function of these other neuromodulators. Here, we performed in situ hybridization on mouse striatal tissue to characterize the effect of sex and sex hormones on choline acetyltransferase ( Chat ), estrogen receptor alpha ( Esr1 ), and corticotropin releasing factor type 1 receptor ( Crhr1 ) expression. Although we did not detect sex differences in ChAT protein levels in the striatum, we found that female mice have more Chat mRNA-expressing neurons than males. At the population level, we observed a sexually dimorphic distribution of Esr1 - and Crhr1 -expressing ChIs in the ventral striatum that demonstrates an antagonistic correlational relationship, which is abolished by ovariectomy. Only in the NAc did we find a significant population of ChIs that co-express Crhr1 and Esr1 . At the cellular level, Crhr1 and Esr1 transcript levels were negatively correlated only during estrus, indicating that changes in sex hormones levels can modulate the interaction between Crhr1 and Esr1 mRNA levels. Together, these data provide evidence for the unique expression and interaction of Esr1 and Crhr1 in ventral striatal ChIs, warranting further investigation into how these transcriptomic patterns might underlie important functions for ChIs at the intersection of stress and reproductive behaviors.
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Mohebi A, Wei W, Pelattini L, Kim K, Berke JD. Dopamine transients follow a striatal gradient of reward time horizons. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:737-746. [PMID: 38321294 PMCID: PMC11001583 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Animals make predictions to guide their behavior and update those predictions through experience. Transient increases in dopamine (DA) are thought to be critical signals for updating predictions. However, it is unclear how this mechanism handles a wide range of behavioral timescales-from seconds or less (for example, if singing a song) to potentially hours or more (for example, if hunting for food). Here we report that DA transients in distinct rat striatal subregions convey prediction errors based on distinct time horizons. DA dynamics systematically accelerated from ventral to dorsomedial to dorsolateral striatum, in the tempo of spontaneous fluctuations, the temporal integration of prior rewards and the discounting of future rewards. This spectrum of timescales for evaluative computations can help achieve efficient learning and adaptive motivation for a broad range of behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lilian Pelattini
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kyoungjun Kim
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua D Berke
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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35
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Simpson EH, Akam T, Patriarchi T, Blanco-Pozo M, Burgeno LM, Mohebi A, Cragg SJ, Walton ME. Lights, fiber, action! A primer on in vivo fiber photometry. Neuron 2024; 112:718-739. [PMID: 38103545 PMCID: PMC10939905 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Fiber photometry is a key technique for characterizing brain-behavior relationships in vivo. Initially, it was primarily used to report calcium dynamics as a proxy for neural activity via genetically encoded indicators. This generated new insights into brain functions including movement, memory, and motivation at the level of defined circuits and cell types. Recently, the opportunity for discovery with fiber photometry has exploded with the development of an extensive range of fluorescent sensors for biomolecules including neuromodulators and peptides that were previously inaccessible in vivo. This critical advance, combined with the new availability of affordable "plug-and-play" recording systems, has made monitoring molecules with high spatiotemporal precision during behavior highly accessible. However, while opening exciting new avenues for research, the rapid expansion in fiber photometry applications has occurred without coordination or consensus on best practices. Here, we provide a comprehensive guide to help end-users execute, analyze, and suitably interpret fiber photometry studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor H Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Thomas Akam
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Tommaso Patriarchi
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zürich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Marta Blanco-Pozo
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lauren M Burgeno
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ali Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie J Cragg
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Mark E Walton
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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36
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Taniguchi J, Melani R, Chantranupong L, Wen MJ, Mohebi A, Berke J, Sabatini B, Tritsch N. Comment on 'Accumbens cholinergic interneurons dynamically promote dopamine release and enable motivation'. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.27.573485. [PMID: 38260459 PMCID: PMC10802245 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Acetylcholine is widely believed to modulate the release of dopamine in the striatum of mammals. Experiments in brain slices clearly show that synchronous activation of striatal cholinergic interneurons is sufficient to drive dopamine release via axo-axonal stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. However, evidence for this mechanism in vivo has been less forthcoming. A recent paper in eLife (Mohebi et al., 2023) reported that, in awake behaving rats, optogenetic activation of striatal cholinergic interneurons with blue light readily evokes dopamine release measured with the red fluorescent sensor RdLight1. Here, we show that blue light alone alters the fluorescent properties of RdLight1 in a manner that may be misconstrued as phasic dopamine release, and that this artefactual photoactivation can account for the effects attributed to cholinergic interneurons. Our findings indicate that measurements of dopamine using the red-shifted fluorescent sensor RdLight1 should be interpreted with caution when combined with optogenetics. In light of this and other publications that did not observe large acetylcholine-evoked dopamine transients in vivo, the conditions under which such release occurs in behaving animals remain unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Taniguchi
- Neuroscience Institute and Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Riccardo Melani
- Neuroscience Institute and Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Lynne Chantranupong
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Michelle J Wen
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Ali Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Joshua Berke
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Bernardo Sabatini
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Nicolas Tritsch
- Neuroscience Institute and Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
- Lead contact
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37
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Matityahu L, Gilin N, Sarpong GA, Atamna Y, Tiroshi L, Tritsch NX, Wickens JR, Goldberg JA. Acetylcholine waves and dopamine release in the striatum. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6852. [PMID: 37891198 PMCID: PMC10611775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42311-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Striatal dopamine encodes reward, with recent work showing that dopamine release occurs in spatiotemporal waves. However, the mechanism of dopamine waves is unknown. Here we report that acetylcholine release in mouse striatum also exhibits wave activity, and that the spatial scale of striatal dopamine release is extended by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Based on these findings, and on our demonstration that single cholinergic interneurons can induce dopamine release, we hypothesized that the local reciprocal interaction between cholinergic interneurons and dopamine axons suffices to drive endogenous traveling waves. We show that the morphological and physiological properties of cholinergic interneuron - dopamine axon interactions can be modeled as a reaction-diffusion system that gives rise to traveling waves. Analytically-tractable versions of the model show that the structure and the nature of propagation of acetylcholine and dopamine traveling waves depend on their coupling, and that traveling waves can give rise to empirically observed correlations between these signals. Thus, our study provides evidence for striatal acetylcholine waves in vivo, and proposes a testable theoretical framework that predicts that the observed dopamine and acetylcholine waves are strongly coupled phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Matityahu
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Naomi Gilin
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gideon A Sarpong
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yara Atamna
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lior Tiroshi
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nicolas X Tritsch
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jeffery R Wickens
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Joshua A Goldberg
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102, Jerusalem, Israel.
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38
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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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