Abstract

We found that while most VTA VGluT2 neurons decreased their firing rates during sucrose consumption, a few VTA VGluT2 neurons increased their firing rates. We also found that while the firing rates of some VTA VGluT2 neurons changed only by the presence of the delivered reward, the firing rates of others were not affected by the presence or omission of the reward. Regarding responses by VTA VGluT2 neurons to the aversive stimulus, we found that the firing rates of most VTA VGluT2 neurons increased in response to airpuff, including those neurons whose firing rates were increased in response to sucrose reward. Based on our results from single cell in vivo recordings, we conclude that VTA VGluT2 neurons are heterogeneous in their function. We suggest that under physiological conditions, whereas most VTA VGluT2 neurons signal aversion, some VTA VGluT2 neurons signal salient stimuli.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Investigator-Initiated Intramural Research Projects (ZIA)
Project #
1ZIADA000543-12
Application #
9770319
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
Zip Code

  Publications

Root, David H; Estrin, David J; Morales, Marisela (2018) Aversion or Salience Signaling by Ventral Tegmental Area Glutamate Neurons. iScience 2:51-62
Morales, Marisela; Margolis, Elyssa B (2017) Ventral tegmental area: cellular heterogeneity, connectivity and behaviour. Nat Rev Neurosci 18:73-85
Barker, David J; Miranda-Barrientos, Jorge; Zhang, Shiliang et al. (2017) Lateral Preoptic Control of the Lateral Habenula through Convergent Glutamate and GABA Transmission. Cell Rep 21:1757-1769
Qi, Jia; Zhang, Shiliang; Wang, Hui-Ling et al. (2016) VTA glutamatergic inputs to nucleus accumbens drive aversion by acting on GABAergic interneurons. Nat Neurosci 19:725-733
Barker, David J; Root, David H; Zhang, Shiliang et al. (2016) Multiplexed neurochemical signaling by neurons of the ventral tegmental area. J Chem Neuroanat 73:33-42
Mejias-Aponte, Carlos A; Ye, Changquan; Bonci, Antonello et al. (2015) A subpopulation of neurochemically-identified ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons is excited by intravenous cocaine. J Neurosci 35:1965-78
Zhang, Shiliang; Qi, Jia; Li, Xueping et al. (2015) Dopaminergic and glutamatergic microdomains in a subset of rodent mesoaccumbens axons. Nat Neurosci 18:386-92
Nordenankar, Karin; Smith-Anttila, Casey J A; Schweizer, Nadine et al. (2015) Increased hippocampal excitability and impaired spatial memory function in mice lacking VGLUT2 selectively in neurons defined by tyrosine hydroxylase promoter activity. Brain Struct Funct 220:2171-90
Volkow, Nora D; Morales, Marisela (2015) The Brain on Drugs: From Reward to Addiction. Cell 162:712-25
Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Qi, Jia; Wang, Hui-Ling et al. (2015) Glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurons in the mouse ventral tegmental area. Eur J Neurosci 41:760-72

Showing the most recent 10 out of 19 publications