Lateral Hypothalamic Circuits for Feeding and Reinforcement

摘要： 有动机的行为，如觅食和寻求奖励，对有机体的生存至关重要。这些 这一过程要求分布在多个脑区的神经元网络和支持细胞类型紧密相连 为了协调行为输出而进行调节和调整。下丘脑外侧区(LHA)有较长的 被确认为动机行为的关键神经解剖学底物。尽管进行了数十年的研究， 已定义的LHA细胞类型的分子同一性仍然知之甚少。此外，虽然LHA神经元 以前已经被证明通过不同的细胞集合来编码食欲和消耗性行为， 目前尚不清楚LHA输出神经元对这些过程有何不同的贡献。在此，我们建议 继续研究LHA的神经回路，并确定不同类型的细胞如何对摄食和 增援。使用跨学科方法来利用尖端工具，如Single CELL 转录图谱、双光子钙成像和病毒我们的目标是隐藏关键的电路元件，以及 新的电路特异性基因表达模式，可用于未来的治疗干预 成瘾和其他神经精神障碍。

Abstract: Motivated behaviors such as feeding and reward-seeking are critical for an organism's survival. These processes require distributed neuronal networks and supporting cell types in multiple brain regions to be tightly regulated and tuned in order to orchestrate behavioral output. The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) has long been identified as a critical neuroanatomical substrate for motivated behavior. Despite decades of research, the molecular identity of defined LHA cell types remains poorly understood. Additionally, while LHA neurons have been previously shown to encode appetitive and consummatory behaviors via distinct cellular ensembles, it remains unknown how distinct LHA output neurons contribute to these processes. Here we propose to continue to study the neural circuits of the LHA, and to identify how distinct cell types contribute to feeding and reinforcement. Using an interdisciplinary approach to leverage cutting edge tools such as single cell transcriptional profiling, two photon calcium imaging, and viral we aim to undercover key circuit elements, and novel circuit specific gene expression patterns that can be leveraged for future therapeutic interventions for addiction and other neuropsychiatric disorders.