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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings
Published on: February 15, 2019
Circuit organization of sugar reinforcement
1The John B Pierce Laboratory, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Physiology, Yale University School of Arts and Sciences, New Haven, CT, USA.
Abstract:
Sugar's potent reinforcing properties arise from the complex interplay between gustatory and nutritive signals. This commentary addresses a unique organizational aspect of the neuronal circuitry that mediates sugar reinforcement in both Drosophila and rodents. Specifically, current evidence supports a general circuit model where separate populations of dopaminergic neurons encode the gustatory and nutritive values of sugar. This arrangement allows animals to prioritize energy seeking over taste quality, and implies that specialized subpopulations of dopamine-containing neurons form a class of evolutionary conserved chemo- and nutrient-sensors.
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