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Serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus encode reward signals.

ABSTRACT: The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is involved in organizing reward-related behaviours; however, it remains unclear how genetically defined neurons in the DRN of a freely behaving animal respond to various natural rewards. Here we addressed this question using fibre photometry and single-unit recording from serotonin (5-HT) neurons and GABA neurons in the DRN of behaving mice. Rewards including sucrose, food, sex and social interaction rapidly activate 5-HT neurons, but aversive stimuli including quinine and footshock do not. Both expected and unexpected rewards activate 5-HT neurons. After mice learn to wait for sucrose delivery, most 5-HT neurons fire tonically during waiting and then phasically on reward acquisition. Finally, GABA neurons are activated by aversive stimuli but inhibited when mice seek rewards. Thus, DRN 5-HT neurons positively encode a wide range of reward signals during anticipatory and consummatory phases of reward responses. Moreover, GABA neurons play a complementary role in reward processing.

SUBMITTER: Li Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4738365 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus encode reward signals.

Li Yi Y Zhong Weixin W Wang Daqing D Feng Qiru Q Liu Zhixiang Z Zhou Jingfeng J Jia Chunying C Hu Fei F Zeng Jiawei J Guo Qingchun Q Fu Ling L Luo Minmin M

Nature communications 20160128

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is involved in organizing reward-related behaviours; however, it remains unclear how genetically defined neurons in the DRN of a freely behaving animal respond to various natural rewards. Here we addressed this question using fibre photometry and single-unit recording from serotonin (5-HT) neurons and GABA neurons in the DRN of behaving mice. Rewards including sucrose, food, sex and social interaction rapidly activate 5-HT neurons, but aversive stimuli including qu ...[more]

PMID: 26818705

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Project description:Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were designed to treat depression by increasing serotonin levels throughout the brain via inhibition of clearance from the extracellular space. Although increases in serotonin levels are observed after acute SSRI exposure, 3-6 weeks of continuous use is required for relief from the symptoms of depression. Thus, it is now believed that plasticity in multiple brain systems that are downstream of serotonergic inputs contributes to the therapeutic efficacy of SSRIs. The onset of antidepressant effects also coincides with desensitization of somatodendritic serotonin autoreceptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), suggesting that disrupting inhibitory feedback within the serotonin system may contribute to the therapeutic effects of SSRIs. Previously, we showed that chronic SSRI treatment caused a frequency-dependent facilitation of serotonin signaling that persisted in the absence of uptake inhibition. In this work, we use in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in mice to investigate a similar facilitation after a single treatment of the SSRI citalopram hydrobromide. Acute citalopram hydrobromide treatment resulted in frequency-dependent increases of evoked serotonin release in the substantia nigra pars reticulata. These increases were independent of changes in uptake velocity, but required SERT expression. Using microinjections, we show that the frequency-dependent enhancement in release is because of SERT inhibition in the DRN, demonstrating that SSRIs can enhance serotonin release by inhibiting uptake in a location distal to the terminal release site. The novel finding that SERT inhibition can disrupt modulatory mechanisms at the level of the DRN to facilitate serotonin release will help future studies investigate serotonin's role in depression and motivated behavior. In this work, stimulations of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) evoke serotonin release that is recorded in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) using in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Systemic administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) causes both an increase in t1/2 and an increase in [5-HT]max in the SNpr. Local application of SSRI to the DRN recapitulates the increase in [5-HT]max observed in the SNpr without affecting uptake. Thus, SSRIs increase serotonin signaling via two distinct SERT-mediated mechanisms.

Dataset Information

Serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus encode reward signals.

Publications

Serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus encode reward signals.

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