Experimental & Molecular Medicine,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
56(9), P. 1889 - 1899
Published: Sept. 2, 2024
Abstract
Social
animals,
including
rodents,
primates,
and
humans,
partake
in
competition
for
finite
resources,
thereby
establishing
social
hierarchies
wherein
an
individual’s
standing
influences
diverse
behaviors.
Understanding
the
neurobiological
underpinnings
of
dominance
is
imperative,
given
its
ramifications
health,
survival,
reproduction.
behavior
comprises
several
facets,
recognition,
decision-making,
actions,
indicating
concerted
involvement
multiple
brain
regions
orchestrating
this
behavior.
While
extensive
research
has
been
dedicated
to
elucidating
neurobiology
interaction,
recent
studies
have
increasingly
delved
into
adverse
behaviors
such
as
hierarchy.
This
review
focuses
on
latest
advancements
comprehending
mechanisms
mesocorticolimbic
circuit
governing
dominance,
with
a
specific
focus
rodent
studies,
intricate
dynamics
their
implications
individual
well-being
adaptation.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Feb. 6, 2024
Associative
learning
depends
on
contingency,
the
degree
to
which
a
stimulus
predicts
an
outcome.
Despite
its
importance,
neural
mechanisms
linking
contingency
behavior
remain
elusive.
Here
we
examined
dopamine
activity
in
ventral
striatum
-
signal
implicated
associative
Pavlovian
degradation
task
mice.
We
show
that
both
anticipatory
licking
and
responses
conditioned
decreased
when
additional
rewards
were
delivered
uncued,
but
remained
unchanged
if
cued.
These
results
conflict
with
contingency-based
accounts
using
traditional
definition
of
or
novel
causal
model
(ANCCR),
can
be
explained
by
temporal
difference
(TD)
models
equipped
appropriate
inter-trial-interval
(ITI)
state
representation.
Recurrent
networks
trained
within
TD
framework
develop
representations
like
our
best
'handcrafted'
model.
Our
findings
suggest
error
measure
describes
dopaminergic
activity.
Journal of Clinical Investigation,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
134(5)
Published: Jan. 18, 2024
Converging
studies
demonstrate
the
dysfunction
of
dopaminergic
neurons
following
chronic
opioid
administration.
However,
therapeutic
strategies
targeting
opioid-responsive
ensembles
that
contribute
to
development
withdrawal
remain
be
elucidated.
Here,
we
used
neuronal
activity-dependent
Tet-Off
system
label
in
response
initial
morphine
exposure
(Mor-Ens)
ventral
tegmental
area
(VTA).
Fiber
optic
photometry
recording
and
transcriptome
analysis
revealed
downregulated
spontaneous
activity,
dysregulated
mitochondrial
respiratory,
ultrastructure,
oxidoreductase
signal
pathways
after
administration
these
ensembles.
Mitochondrial
fragmentation
decreased
fusion
gene
mitofusin
1
(Mfn1)
were
found
prolonged
withdrawal.
Restoration
Mfn1
Mor-Ens
attenuated
excessive
oxidative
stress
Administration
Mdivi-1,
a
fission
inhibitor,
ameliorated
maladaptation
plasticity
Mor-Ens,
accompanied
by
administration,
without
affecting
analgesic
effect
morphine.
These
findings
highlighted
plastic
architecture
mitochondria
as
potential
target
for
analgesic-induced
substance
use
disorders.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Feb. 28, 2024
Learning
a
new
task
is
challenging
because
the
world
high
dimensional,
with
only
subset
of
features
being
reward-relevant.
What
neural
mechanisms
contribute
to
initial
acquisition,
and
why
do
some
individuals
learn
much
more
quickly
than
others?
To
address
these
questions,
we
recorded
longitudinally
from
dopamine
(DA)
axon
terminals
in
mice
learning
visual
task.
Across
striatum,
DA
responses
tracked
idiosyncratic
side-specific
trajectories.
However,
even
before
any
rewards
were
delivered,
contralateral-side-specific
present
dorsomedial
striatum
(DMS).
These
pre-existing
predicted
extent
for
contralateral
stimuli.
Moreover,
activation
improved
performance.
Thus,
conditions
projection-specific
feature-specific
signal
help
explain
individual
More
broadly,
this
work
implies
that
functional
heterogeneity
across
projections
serves
bias
target
regions
towards
about
different
subsets
features,
providing
mechanism
dimensionality
problem.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Feb. 29, 2024
ABSTRACT
The
ability
to
distinguish
strangers
from
familiar
individuals
is
crucial
for
the
survival
of
most
mammalian
species.
In
humans,
an
inability
recognize
kin
and
engage
in
appropriate
behaviors
associated
with
several
types
dementia,
including
Alzheimer’s
disease.
Mice
preferentially
spend
more
time
investigating
a
novel
individual
relative
individual.
Yet,
how
social
novelty
related
information
drives
increased
investigation
animal
remains
poorly
understood.
Recent
evidence
has
implicated
ventral
hippocampus
(vHPC)
as
key
node
encoding
about
conspecific
identity.
Of
particular
interest
are
vHPC
projections
lateral
septum
(LS),
region
that
been
driving
wide
range
motivated
behaviors.
this
study
using
chemogenetics,
optogenetics
monosynaptic
rabies
tracing,
we
identified
vHPC-LS-ventral
tegmental
area
(VTA)
pathway
necessary
mice
investigate
conspecifics.
Using
established
LS
neurons
make
direct
connections
onto
dopaminergic
VTA.
Thus,
have
potential
via
which
identity
could
be
transformed
drive
PLoS Computational Biology,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
20(11), P. e1012580 - e1012580
Published: Nov. 19, 2024
Animals
can
adapt
their
preferences
for
different
types
of
reward
according
to
physiological
state,
such
as
hunger
or
thirst.
To
explain
this
ability,
we
employ
a
simple
multi-objective
reinforcement
learning
model
that
learns
multiple
values
dimensions
food
water.
We
show
by
weighting
these
learned
the
current
needs,
behaviour
may
be
flexibly
adapted
present
preferences.
This
predicts
individual
dopamine
neurons
should
encode
errors
associated
with
some
more
than
others.
provide
preliminary
test
prediction,
reanalysed
small
dataset
obtained
from
single
primate
in
an
experiment
which
our
knowledge
is
only
published
study
where
responses
stimuli
predicting
distinct
rewards
were
recorded.
observed
addition
subjective
economic
value,
gradient
dimensions;
respond
most
while
others
fluids.
also
proposed
possible
implementation
basal
ganglia
network,
and
demonstrated
how
striatal
system
learn
dimensions,
even
when
mixtures
prediction
error
dimensions.
Additionally,
reproduces
instant
generalisation
new
states
seen
behaviour.
Our
results
demonstrate
neural
circuit
guide
animals’
needs.
Hormones and Behavior,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
159, P. 105472 - 105472
Published: Dec. 23, 2023
Proper
thyroid
function
is
essential
to
the
developing
brain,
including
dopamine
neuron
differentiation,
growth,
and
maintenance.
Stress
across
lifespan
impacts
hormone
signaling
anxiety
disorders
depression
have
been
associated
with
dysfunction
(both
hypo-
hyper-active).
However,
less
known
about
how
stress
during
postnatal
development
related
brain
development.
Our
previous
work
in
mice
demonstrated
that
early-life
(ELS)
transiently
impinged
on
expression
of
a
transcription
factor
neurons,
Otx2,
shown
be
regulated
by
hormones.
We
hypothesized
may
link
experience
ELS
transcriptional
dysregulation
within
dopaminergic
midbrain,
ultimately
behavior.
Here,
we
find
increases
thyroid-stimulating
levels
(inversely
signaling)
both
male
female
at
P21,
an
effect
which
recovers
adolescence.
next
tested
whether
transient
treatment
synthetic
(levothyroxine,
LT4)
could
ameliorate
impact
sensitivity
future
stress,
genes
maintenance,
signaling,
plasticity
ventral
tegmental
area.
Among
mice,
but
not
females,
juvenile
LT4
prevented
hypersensitivity
adult
stress.
also
found
rescuing
developmental
deficits
after
restored
some
altered
directly
ELS,
alterations
other
sensitive
second
hit
These
findings
suggest
mediates
deleterious
VTA
development,
temporary
hypothyroidism
sufficient
prevent
hypersensitivity.
Communications Biology,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
8(1)
Published: March 13, 2025
The
mesolimbic
dopamine
system
is
crucial
for
drug
reinforcement
and
reward
learning,
leading
to
addiction.
We
previously
demonstrated
that
Arvcf
was
associated
significantly
with
nicotine
alcohol
addiction
through
genome-wide
association
studies.
However,
the
role
mechanisms
of
in
dopamine-mediated
processes
were
largely
unknown.
In
this
study,
we
first
showed
mediates
nicotine-induced
behavior
by
using
conditioned
place
preference
(CPP)
model
on
Arvcf-knockout
(Arvcf-KO)
animal
model.
Then,
revealed
mainly
expressed
VTA
dopaminergic
neurons
whose
expression
could
be
upregulated
treatment.
Subsequently,
our
SnRNA-seq
analysis
directly
involved
biosynthesis
neurons.
Furthermore,
found
Arvcf-KO
led
a
significant
reduction
both
synthesis
release
nucleus
accumbens
(NAc)
stimulation.
Specifically,
inhibition
decreased
within
VTA-NAc
circuit
suppressed
reward-related
behavior,
while
overexpression
opposite
results.
Taken
together,
these
findings
highlight
regulating
signaling
its
enhancement
as
novel
mechanism
reward.
Catenin
gene
promotes
theformation
learning
enhancing
mice.
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
16(1)
Published: April 2, 2025
Assigning
valence
to
stimuli
for
adaptive
behavior
is
an
essential
function,
involving
the
ventral
tegmental
area
(VTA).
VTA
cell
types
are
often
defined
through
neurotransmitters
(NT).
However,
function
in
does
not
parse
along
NT-boundaries
as,
within
each
NT-class,
certain
neurons
excited
by
reward
and
others
stressors.
Here
we
identify,
male
mice,
co-activated
neuronal
ensembles
stress,
determine
their
role
behaviors.
We
show
that
of
opposite
(opioid
vs
acute
social
stress)
recruit
two
distinct
ensembles.
These
continue
be
preferentially
engaged
congruent
stimuli.
Stimulation
stress-
or
aversive/reinforcing,
respectively.
Strikingly,
external
fully
require
activity
these
small
discrete
conferring
approach/avoidance
outcomes.
Overall,
our
study
identifies
positive
negative
coding
shows
indispensability
behavior.