Mu opioid receptors on vGluT2-expressing glutamatergic neurons modulate opioid reward.

ABSTRACT: The role of Mu opioid receptor (MOR)-mediated regulation of GABA transmission in opioid reward is well established. Much less is known about MOR-mediated regulation of glutamate transmission in the brain and how this relates to drug reward. We previously found that MORs inhibit glutamate transmission at synapses that express the Type 2 vesicular glutamate transporter (vGluT2). We created a transgenic mouse that lacks MORs in vGluT2-expressing neurons (MORflox-vGluT2cre) to demonstrate that MORs on the vGluT2 neurons themselves mediate this synaptic inhibition. We then explored the role of MORs in vGluT2-expressing neurons in opioid-related behaviors. In tests of conditioned place preference, MORflox-vGluT2cre mice did not acquire place preference for a low dose of the opioid, oxycodone, bu

SUBMITTER: Reeves KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7854952 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature