Cholinergic interneurons control local circuit activity and cocaine conditioning

Science. 2010 Dec 17;330(6011):1677-81. doi: 10.1126/science.1193771.

Abstract

Cholinergic neurons are widespread, and pharmacological modulation of acetylcholine receptors affects numerous brain processes, but such modulation entails side effects due to limitations in specificity for receptor type and target cell. As a result, causal roles of cholinergic neurons in circuits have been unclear. We integrated optogenetics, freely moving mammalian behavior, in vivo electrophysiology, and slice physiology to probe the cholinergic interneurons of the nucleus accumbens by direct excitation or inhibition. Despite representing less than 1% of local neurons, these cholinergic cells have dominant control roles, exerting powerful modulation of circuit activity. Furthermore, these neurons could be activated by cocaine, and silencing this drug-induced activity during cocaine exposure (despite the fact that the manipulation of the cholinergic interneurons was not aversive by itself) blocked cocaine conditioning in freely moving mammals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / physiology*
  • Action Potentials
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase / genetics
  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism
  • Cocaine / administration & dosage
  • Cocaine / pharmacology*
  • Conditioning, Psychological*
  • Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials
  • Interneurons / drug effects
  • Interneurons / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Nucleus Accumbens / cytology
  • Nucleus Accumbens / drug effects
  • Nucleus Accumbens / physiology*
  • Reward
  • Synaptic Potentials

Substances

  • Choline O-Acetyltransferase
  • Cocaine
  • Acetylcholine