Inhibitory medial zona incerta pathway drives exploratory behavior by inhibiting glutamatergic cuneiform neurons.

Autor: Sharma S; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Badenhorst CA; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Ashby DM; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.; Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Di Vito SA; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Tran MA; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Ghavasieh Z; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Grewal GK; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Belway CR; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., McGirr A; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.; Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada., Whelan PJ; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. whelan@ucalgary.ca.; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. whelan@ucalgary.ca.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2024 Feb 07; Vol. 15 (1), pp. 1160. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 07.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45288-x
Abstrakt: The cuneiform nucleus (CnF) regulates locomotor activity, which is canonically viewed as being primarily involved in initiating locomotion and regulating speed. Recent research shows greater context dependency in the locomotor functions of this nucleus. Glutamatergic neurons, which contain vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGLUT2), regulate context-dependent locomotor speed in the CnF and play a role in defensive behavior. Here, we identify projections from the medial zona incerta (mZI) to CnF vGLUT2 neurons that promote exploratory behavior. Using fiber photometry recordings in male mice, we find that mZI gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons increase activity during periods of exploration. Activation of mZI GABAergic neurons is associated with reduced spiking of CnF neurons. Additionally, activating both retrogradely labeled mZI-CnF GABAergic projection neurons and their terminals in the CnF increase exploratory behavior. Inhibiting CnF vGLUT2 neuronal activity also increases exploratory behavior. These findings provide evidence for the context-dependent dynamic regulation of CnF vGLUT2 neurons, with the mZI-CnF circuit shaping exploratory behavior.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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