Work

Opposing roles of cotransmission of dynorphin and hypocretin on reward and motivation

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: In PNAS, Muschamp et al. (1) report that hypocretin and dynorphin are coexpressed in the same synaptic vesicles of hypothalamic neurons. Their data from behavioral, pharmacological, and electrophysiological studies suggest that hypocretin and dynorphin are coreleased, and that they play opposing roles in cocaine self-administration, brain stimulation reward, and impulsivity. The authors’ data also suggest that the critical brain site for these opposing effects of coreleased hypocretin and dynorphin is the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the cell body region of the mesolimbic dopamine reward system (2). Fig. 1 provides a summary of the main findings from the study.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1403603111

Authors: Xuan Li, Nathan J. Marchant, Yavin Shaham

Institutions: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse

Language: English

Topic: Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institutes of Health