Coordinated Reductions in Excitatory Input to the Nucleus Accumbens Underlie Food Consumption

Neuron
Sean J ReedJonathan P Britt

Abstract

Reward-seeking behavior is regulated by a diverse collection of inputs to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The information encoded in each excitatory afferent to the NAc is unknown, in part because it is unclear when these pathways are active in relation to behavior. Here we compare the activity profiles of amygdala, hippocampal, and thalamic inputs to the NAc shell in mice performing a cued reward-seeking task using GCaMP-based fiber photometry. We find that the rostral and caudal ends of the NAc shell are innervated by distinct but intermingled populations of forebrain neurons that exhibit divergent feeding-related activity. In the rostral NAc shell, a coordinated network-wide reduction in excitatory drive correlates with feeding, and reduced input from individual pathways is sufficient to promote it. Overall, the data suggest that pathway-specific input activity at a population level may vary more across the NAc than between pathways.

Citations

Oct 16, 2019·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Kevin P UribeLaura E O'Dell
Feb 2, 2020·Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS·Ranier GutierrezSidney A Simon
Jan 25, 2019·Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology·Anna M Klawonn, Robert C Malenka
Apr 10, 2020·Frontiers in Neural Circuits·Christopher K Lafferty, Jonathan P Britt
Sep 16, 2020·Nature Neuroscience·Mark M GerguesMazen A Kheirbek
Nov 25, 2020·Current Protocols in Neuroscience·Daniel J LiputSteven S Vogel
Nov 12, 2020·Journal of Neurophysiology·Katherine N Wright, Daniel W Wesson
Jan 27, 2021·Nature Neuroscience·Yvan M VachezMeaghan C Creed
Nov 13, 2020·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience·Jacqueline F McGinty, James M Otis
Dec 6, 2020·Nature Communications·B Sofia BeasMario A Penzo
Mar 19, 2020·Cell Reports·Christopher K LaffertyJonathan P Britt
Apr 11, 2021·Nature Communications·Daniel J ChristoffelRobert C Malenka
May 13, 2021·Neuron·Bryan A CopitsMichael R Bruchas
Jul 10, 2021·Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry·Shani GendelisYonatan M Kupchik

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