Elucidating a locus coeruleus-dentate gyrus dopamine pathway for operant reinforcement.

ABSTRACT: Animals can learn to repeat behaviors to earn desired rewards, a process commonly known as reinforcement learning. While previous work has implicated the ascending dopaminergic projections to the basal ganglia in reinforcement learning, little is known about the role of the hippocampus. Here, we report that a specific population of hippocampal neurons and their dopaminergic innervation contribute to operant self-stimulation. These neurons are located in the dentate gyrus, receive dopaminergic projections from the locus coeruleus, and express D1 dopamine receptors. Activation of D1 + dentate neurons is sufficient for self-stimulation: mice will press a lever to earn optogenetic activation of these neurons. A similar effect is also observed with selective activation of the locus coeruleus pr

SUBMITTER: Petter EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10162798 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature