α6-Containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in midbrain dopamine neurons are poised to govern dopamine-mediated behaviors and synaptic plasticity

• Published in: Neuroscience Vol. 304; pp. 161 - 175
• Main Authors: Berry, J.N, Engle, S.E, McIntosh, J.M, Drenan, R.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 24-09-2015
• Subjects: Acetylcholine - administration & dosage; addiction; Animals; Cholinergic Agonists - administration & dosage; Dopamine; Dopaminergic Neurons - drug effects; Dopaminergic Neurons - physiology; glutamate; locomotor; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Motor Activity - drug effects; Motor Activity - physiology; Mutation; Neurology; Neuronal Plasticity - drug effects; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; nicotine; Nicotine - administration & dosage; Nicotinic Antagonists - administration & dosage; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Phenotype; plasticity; Receptors, Nicotinic - genetics; Receptors, Nicotinic - metabolism; Tissue Culture Techniques; Ventral Tegmental Area - drug effects; Ventral Tegmental Area - physiology; nonTG; VTA; AMPA; ACh; 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethanesulfonic acid; NAcs; locomotor; α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor; α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazolepropionic acid; NAc; nAChR; N-methyl- d-glucamine; glutamate; nicotinic acetylcholine receptor; nicotine; BAC; NMDG; addiction; SNc; plasticity; nucleus accumbens; AMPAR; EGTA; bacterial artificial chromosome; substantia nigra pars compacta; ventral tegmental area; HEPES; αCtxMII; acetylcholine; ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid; DA; dopamine; nucleus accumbens shell; α-conotoxin MII; non-transgenic
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.052

Highlights • A transgenic mouse strain (α6L9S) expressing hypersensitive α6∗ nAChRs was studied. • VTA α6∗ nAChRs are required for nicotine-induced locomotion in α6L9S mice. • Intra-VTA nicotine recapitulates effects of systemic nicotine on locomotion. • nAChR partial agonists also activate locomotion in α6L9S mice. • Nicotine-mediated synaptic plasticity changes require VTA α6∗ nAChRs.