Role of dopamine projections from ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex in reinforcement behaviors assessed using optogenetic manipulation

Metabolic Brain Disease
Xiao HanJin Li

Abstract

Dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are predicted to play important roles in reward. In pharmacological studies, the rewarding effects of methamphetamine are mediated by DA neurons localized in the VTA. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortices (mPFC) are the main projections from the VTA. However, the role of these projections remains unclear, particularly the mPFC projections. In the present study, DAT-Cre transgenic mice received an injection of adeno-associated viral vectors encoding channelrhodopsin2 (ChR2) or control vector into the VTA resulting in the selective expression of these opsins in DA neurons. Then, we stimulated the VTA, NAc (core and shell) or mPFC (prelimbic cortex (PL) and infralimbic cortex (IL)) via an optical fiber. The mice with ChR2 learned instrumental responses corresponding to the delivery of photostimulation into the VTA. The projections to the NAc core and shell from the VTA and stimulation of the NAc subregion both induced reinforcement. For projections to the mPFC (IL and PL), we verified that stimulation of the IL induced reinforcement dependent on DA from the VTA but not the PL. Furthermore, micro-infusion of methamphetamine into the NAc core and NAc shel...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 27, 2019·The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry·Ian J Bamford, Nigel S Bamford
Mar 22, 2020·Communications Biology·Elvi Gil-LievanaFederico Bermúdez-Rattoni
Aug 11, 2021·Neuropharmacology·Adam Gordon-Fennell, Garret D Stuber
Aug 15, 2021·Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry·Saad LatifMohammad Azam Ansari

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
transfection
fluorescence microscopy

Software Mentioned

Anilab SuperState
AniLab

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