Basal amygdala-nucleus accumbens glutamate neurons respond to either social reward or social aversion
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ABSTRACT: A substantial proportion of basal amygdala (BA) glutamate neurons project to nucleus accumbens (NAc). The evidence that these neurons are activated by reward and/or aversion is equivocal. Social stimuli are highly salient, and in male mice we conducted a detailed analysis of the responsiveness of BA-NAc neurons to estrous female (social reward, SR) or aggressive male (social aversion, SA). Both SR and SA activated c-Fos expression in a relatively high number of BA-NAc neurons in intermediate (int) BA. Using Fos-TRAP2 mice, the majority of social int-BA-NAc neurons were activated by either SR or SA, i.e. were monovalent, and in similar numbers. Fiber photometry provided corroborative evidence that int-BA-NAc neural pathway activity was similar in response to SR or SA. These findings contribute substantially to understanding the topography and valence-specificity of BA-NAc neurons with respect to highly salient stimuli, and to identifying molecular targets for treatment of reward- or aversion-specific psychopathologies.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE220269 | GEO | 2023/12/17
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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