2022
Activity of a direct VTA to ventral pallidum GABA pathway encodes unconditioned reward value and sustains motivation for reward
Zhou WL, Kim K, Ali F, Pittenger ST, Calarco CA, Mineur YS, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Kwan AC, Picciotto MR. Activity of a direct VTA to ventral pallidum GABA pathway encodes unconditioned reward value and sustains motivation for reward. Science Advances 2022, 8: eabm5217. PMID: 36260661, PMCID: PMC9581470, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5217.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHippocampal acetylcholine modulates stress-related behaviors independent of specific cholinergic inputs
Mineur YS, Mose TN, Vanopdenbosch L, Etherington IM, Ogbejesi C, Islam A, Pineda CM, Crouse RB, Zhou W, Thompson DC, Bentham MP, Picciotto MR. Hippocampal acetylcholine modulates stress-related behaviors independent of specific cholinergic inputs. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 1829-1838. PMID: 34997190, PMCID: PMC9106825, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01404-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStress-related behaviorsCholinergic inputMedial septum/diagonal bandBehavioral effectsBrain ACh levelsChAT-positive neuronsSelective chemogenetic activationMuscarinic ACh receptorsDepression-like symptomsSignificant behavioral effectsHippocampal acetylcholineMaladaptive behavioral responsesAntidepressant effectsCholinergic neuronsACh releaseChemogenetic activationChemogenetic inhibitionCholinergic antagonistsLocal infusionAcetylcholine levelsACh levelsDiagonal bandACh receptorsHippocampal neuronsPharmacological approaches
2018
Molecular and cellular characterization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in the arcuate nucleus of the mouse hypothalamus
Calarco CA, Li Z, Taylor SR, Lee S, Zhou W, Friedman JM, Mineur YS, Gotti C, Picciotto MR. Molecular and cellular characterization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in the arcuate nucleus of the mouse hypothalamus. European Journal Of Neuroscience 2018, 48: 1600-1619. PMID: 29791746, PMCID: PMC6251769, DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13966.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPOMC cellsArcuate nucleusFood intakeOrexigenic agouti-related peptideNicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypesAnorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neuronsDecrease food intakePro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neuronsAcetylcholine receptor subtypesMRNA levelsAgouti-related peptideNicotinic agonist cytisineNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsSubunit mRNA levelsNeuronal cell typesAnorexigenic neuronsNicotinic regulationNicotinic modulationSmall hairpin RNAHypothalamic regionsReal-time PCRReceptor subtypesAgonist cytisineΑ7 subunitAcetylcholine receptorsStriatin-1 is a B subunit of protein phosphatase PP2A that regulates dendritic arborization and spine development in striatal neurons
Li D, Musante V, Zhou W, Picciotto MR, Nairn AC. Striatin-1 is a B subunit of protein phosphatase PP2A that regulates dendritic arborization and spine development in striatal neurons. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2018, 293: 11179-11194. PMID: 29802198, PMCID: PMC6052221, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001519.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSerine/threonine phosphatase PP2AStriatin-interacting phosphataseRNA knockdown approachB subunitSTRIPAK complexPhosphatase PP2AProtein phosphataseMultiprotein complexesKnockdown approachStriatin familyMutant constructsStriatal neuronal culturesPP2ANeuronal developmentPrimary striatal neuronal culturesDendritic phenotypeKnockdown modelSynapse formationSubunitsSpine developmentSelective roleReduced expressionNeuron maturationNeuronal culturesStriatal neurons
2015
Antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine and sex-specific differences in effects on c-fos immunoreactivity and paired-pulse ratio in male and female mice
Mineur YS, Bentham MP, Zhou WL, Plantenga ME, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine and sex-specific differences in effects on c-fos immunoreactivity and paired-pulse ratio in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology 2015, 232: 3539-3549. PMID: 26146014, PMCID: PMC4561580, DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4001-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntidepressant-like effectsPaired-pulse ratioC-Fos immunoreactivityPrefrontal cortexSwim testBrain areasRobust antidepressant-like effectsBrain regionsSex differencesMale C57BL/6J miceDepression-like behaviorEffects of guanfacineAcetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmineLight/dark boxBaseline sex differencesC-fos expressionDepression-like stateCritical brain regionsDifferent brain areasSex-specific changesAntidepressant efficacyCholinergic controlInhibitor physostigmineC57BL/6J miceAgonist guanfacineAcetylcholine Acts through Nicotinic Receptors to Enhance the Firing Rate of a Subset of Hypocretin Neurons in the Mouse Hypothalamus through Distinct Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Mechanisms1,2
Zhou WL, Gao XB, Picciotto MR. Acetylcholine Acts through Nicotinic Receptors to Enhance the Firing Rate of a Subset of Hypocretin Neurons in the Mouse Hypothalamus through Distinct Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Mechanisms1,2. ENeuro 2015, 2: eneuro.0052-14.2015. PMID: 26322330, PMCID: PMC4551500, DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0052-14.2015.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHypocretin neuronsMiniature EPSCsPostsynaptic nAChRsFiring rateHypocretin/orexin neuronsFrequency of mEPSCsAntagonism of nAChRsPhasic ACh releasePresence of atropineApplication of AChInternal calcium releaseNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsMouse brain slicesOne-thirdAddiction-related behaviorsPresynaptic AChPresynaptic nAChRsOrexin neuronsACh releaseGlutamatergic inputsPostsynaptic modulationPostsynaptic mechanismsMEPSC frequencyTonic activationBrain slices