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Heterogeneous VTA cell types reinforce behaviors through diverse mechanisms
May 4, 2023 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Featuring: Tom Hnasko, PhD
Department of Neurosciences
University of California, San Diego
Hybrid Event
This seminar will be live-streamed via Zoom and In-Person.
In-Person:
Herklotz Conference Room
Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
300 Qureshey Research Lab
Zoom: https://neurobiology.uci.edu/event/ican-seminar-series-dr-tom-hnasko/
Abstract:
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is famous for its dopamine neurons. However, non-dopamine neurons are abundant in VTA, including GABA neurons, glutamate neurons, and neurons that release more than one of these recycling neurotransmitters. This seminar will focus on several recent non-canonical findings on how VTA cell types are regulated by afferents, connected to distal targets, and impact behavioral reinforcement. Including examples of how co-release of neurotransmitters from VTA neurons can drive divergent physiological and behavioral responses. The work suggests that VTA neurons reinforce behaviors by dopamine as well as by dopamine-independent mechanisms.
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is famous for its dopamine neurons. However, non-dopamine neurons are abundant in VTA, including GABA neurons, glutamate neurons, and neurons that release more than one of these recycling neurotransmitters. This seminar will focus on several recent non-canonical findings on how VTA cell types are regulated by afferents, connected to distal targets, and impact behavioral reinforcement. Including examples of how co-release of neurotransmitters from VTA neurons can drive divergent physiological and behavioral responses. The work suggests that VTA neurons reinforce behaviors by dopamine as well as by dopamine-independent mechanisms.