A GABAergic Projection from the Centromedial Nuclei of the Amygdala to Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Modulates Reward Behavior

作者：Seo Dong oh; Funderburk Samuel C; Bhatti Dionnet L; Motard Laura E; Newbold Dillan; Girven Kasey S; McCall Jordan G; Krashes Michael; Sparta Dennis R; Bruchas Michael R^*

来源：Journal of Neuroscience, 2016, 36(42): 10831-10842.

DOI：10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1164-16.2016

• amygdala
• CEA
• MEA
• reward
• vGat
• vmPFC

The neural circuitry underlying mammalian reward behaviors involves several distinct nuclei throughout the brain. It is widely accepted that the midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons are critical for the reward-related behaviors. Recent studies have shown that the centromedial nucleus of the amygdala (CeMA) has a distinct role in regulating reward-related behaviors. However, the CeMA and ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) interaction in reward regulation remains poorly understood. Here, we identify and dissect a GABAergic projection that originates in the CeMA and terminates in the vmPFC (VGat-CreCeMA-vmPFC) using viral-vector-mediated, cell-type-specific optogenetic techniques in mice. Pathway-specific optogenetic activation of the VGat-CreCeMA-vmPFC circuit in awake, behaving animals produced a positive, reward-like phenotype in real-time place preference and increased locomotor activity in open-field testing. In sucrose operant conditioning, the photoactivation of these terminals increased nose-poking effort with no effect on licking behavior and robustly facilitated the extinction of operant behavior. However, photoactivation of these terminals did not induce self-stimulation in the absence of an external reward. The results described here suggest that the VGat-CreCeMA-vmPFC projection acts to modulate existing reward-related behaviors.

• 出版日期2016-10-19