Article
Neurosciences
Susanna Molas, Rubing Zhao-Shea, Timothy G. Freels, Andrew R. Tapper
Summary: Midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) respond to rewarding stimuli and encode reward prediction error, but recent data suggest they also have roles in aversive signaling, salience, and novelty. This study aimed to functionally characterize the different outputs from VTA dopaminergic neurons and found that they project to the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) and nucleus accumbens shell. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the VTA-IPN circuit is involved in motivated exploration.
Article
Neurosciences
Nailyam Nasirova, Lely A. Quina, Shoshana Novik, Eric E. Turner
Summary: The habenulopeduncular system consists of the medial habenula (MHb) and interpeduncular nucleus (IP), both rich in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Nicotine use may be regulated by effects on dopamine reward pathways and an aversive brake on nicotine consumption in the MHb-IP pathway. Studies have not found significant anatomical connections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or substantia nigra (SN) to the IP, contradicting the proposed direct dopaminergic input to the habenulopeduncular system.
Article
Neurosciences
Teresa M. Nufer, Bridget J. Wu, Zachary Boyce, Scott C. Steffensen, Jeffrey G. Edwards
Summary: The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a crucial part of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) circuit involved in reward and motivated behaviors. This area contains DA neurons and GABAergic inhibitory cells that regulate DA cell activity. The plasticity of inhibitory inputs to VTA GABA neurons, specifically in response to drug exposure, is not well understood.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Gemma Navarro, William Rea, Cesar Quiroz, Estefania Moreno, Devan Gomez, Cody J. Wenthur, Vicent Casado, Lorenzo Leggio, Matthew C. Hearing, Sergi Ferre
Summary: GHS-R1b facilitates oligomerization with GHS-R1a, impacting its pharmacological properties, but GHSR1a:GHS-R1b:D1R oligomers in the VTA are the main mediators of the dopaminergic effects of ghrelin.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Massimo Pierucci, Francis Delicata, Roberto Colangeli, Antonella Marino Gammazza, Alessandro Pitruzzella, Maurizio Casarrubea, Philippe De Deurwaerdere, Giuseppe Di Giovanni
Summary: This study found that nicotine-induced neuronal activity in the VTA is regulated by the LHb region, with acute and chronic nicotine having different effects on VTA DA neurons.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Changyou Jiang, Xiao Yang, Guanhong He, Fan Wang, Zhilin Wang, Wendong Xu, Ying Mao, Lan Ma, Feifei Wang
Summary: Neuronal plasticity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is crucial for drug dependence, with morphine exposure leading to preferential projection of neurons to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dopamine-dependent positive reinforcement. Chronic morphine exposure enhances connections between corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons of the central amygdala and VTA neurons, mediating negative effects during opiate withdrawal. Pharmacological intervention or CRISPR-mediated repression of CRH receptors weakens inhibitory inputs and alleviates negative effects during opiate withdrawal.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicolas A. Morgenstern, Ana Filipa Isidro, Inbal Israely, Rui M. Costa
Summary: This study reveals a previously unknown excitatory circuit in the brain, which conveys a delayed second phase of excitation to the striatum through a polysynaptic pathway involving PT neurons, cholinergic interneurons, and glutamate-releasing axons. This circuit mechanism may have important implications for behavior, plasticity, and learning.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Qinghui Lan, Peiqing Guan, Chunzheng Huang, Shile Huang, Peiling Zhou, Changzheng Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrated that arecoline significantly increased the firing rate of dopaminergic neurons and induced burst firing. This may contribute to areca nut dependency and provide a potential target for cessation therapy.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Marie A. Doyle, Michelle S. Mazei-Robison
Summary: Opioid drugs are valued for their pain-relieving properties but pose significant risks due to abuse potential. Long-term use of opioids can lead to molecular changes in VTA dopamine neurons, which are associated with addiction-related behaviors. Future research should focus on identifying whether these neuroadaptations are specific to certain subpopulations of VTA DA neurons.
COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Linda D. Simmler, Yue Li, Lotfi C. Hadjas, Agnes Hiver, Ruud van Zessen, Christian Luscher
Summary: Ketamine does not induce synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens despite eliciting dopamine transients, due to the rapid off-kinetics of the dopamine transients and NMDAR antagonism. However, it supports reinforcement through NMDAR antagonism in GABA neurons of the ventral tegmental area, which is quickly terminated by type-2 dopamine receptors on dopamine neurons.
Article
Biology
Kevin Beier
Summary: This study used a modified viral-genetic strategy to investigate both local and long-range inputs to dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in mice. The findings revealed that nearly half of the inputs to VTA cells are located locally, which were previously overlooked. The main source of inhibition to VTA cells is from the substantia nigra pars reticulata, with substantial contributions from the VTA and substantia nigra pars compacta. Dopamine neurons also have connections with other dopamine neurons within the VTA and the nearby retrorubal field. Additionally, the study showed that VTA neurons receive inputs from serotonergic neurons distributed throughout the midbrain and hindbrain, with the majority coming from the dorsal raphe.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Xiaoyan Ding, Mengdie Yang, Ning Wu, Jin Li, Rui Song
Summary: Abnormal fear memory can lead to stress disorders such as PTSD. Therefore, intervention in the formation of abnormal fear memory can be a new strategy for preventing and treating PTSD.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Grazyna Jerzemowska, Karolina Plucinska, Aleksandra Piwka, Magdalena Podlacha, Jolanta Orzel-Gryglewska
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated the role of opioid receptors (OR) in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) in regulating motivated behaviors. They found that activation and blocking of OR in the PPN affected behavioral and neuronal activity, modulating the reward system.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta E. Soden, Joshua X. Yee, Larry S. Zweifel
Summary: This study reveals that fast-acting neurotransmitters and slow, modulatory neuropeptides can co-regulate neural circuit outputs through different signaling pathways. By using a genetic-based anatomical disconnect procedure, researchers were able to independently edit neurotransmitter- and neuropeptide-related genes in specific cell types. It was found that the neurotransmitter GABA and the neuropeptide neurotensin work together to regulate dopamine neuron responses and optimize behavior.
Article
Neurosciences
Beibei Peng, Qikuan Xu, Jing Liu, Sophie Guo, Stephanie L. Borgland, Shuai Liu
Summary: The study found that chronic corticosteroid treatment induces anxiety-like behavior and impairs food-seeking behavior. Additionally, chronic CORT treatment decreases excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission onto VTA dopamine neurons, while increasing somatodendritic dopamine concentration. Restoring D2R signaling in the VTA can ameliorate these deficits induced by chronic CORT exposure.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)