Pathway-specific role of active avoidance in the nucleus accumbens

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25871080
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience; Basic / Social brain science
• Research Institution: 公益財団法人大阪バイオサイエンス研究所
• Principal Investigator: YAWATA Satoshi 公益財団法人大阪バイオサイエンス研究所, システムズ生物学部門, 研究員 (90455246)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 忌避学習 / 大脳基底核 / 側坐核 / ドーパミン受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the basal ganglia, inputs from the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are transmitted through both directand indirect pathways and control reward-based and aversive learning. In the NAc, dopamine (DA) serves as a key neurotransmitter, modulating these 2 parallel p athways. This study aimed at exploring how passive or active avoidance learning controlled in a pathway-specific a nd DA receptor-dependent manner.
We used reversible neurotransmission blocking (RNB) technique, in which transmission of the direct (D-RNB) or the indirect (I-RNB) in the NAc was selectively blocked by transmission-blocking tetanus toxin. D-RNB and dopamine D1 receptor antagonist- treated unilateral D-RNB showed severe impairment in active avoidance learning.

Free Research Field

総合生物