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Updated: Jul 18, 2025

Two Different Real-Time Place Preference Paradigms Using Optogenetics within the Ventral Tegmental Area of the Mouse
Published on: February 12, 2020
Lateral preoptic area glutamate neurons relay nociceptive information to the ventral tegmental area
David J Barker1, Shiliang Zhang2, Huiling Wang1
1Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Abstract:
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has been proposed to play a role in pain, but the brain structures modulating VTA activity in response to nociceptive stimuli remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the lateral preoptic area (LPO) glutamate neurons relay nociceptive information to the VTA. These LPO glutamatergic neurons synapsing on VTA neurons respond to nociceptive stimulation and conditioned stimuli predicting nociceptive stimulation and also mediate aversion. In contrast, LPO GABA neurons synapsing in the VTA mediate reward. By ultrastructural quantitative synaptic analysis, ex vivo electrophysiology, and functional neuroanatomy we identify a complex circuitry between LPO glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons and VTA dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons. We conclude that LPO glutamatergic neurons play a causal role in the processing of nociceptive stimuli and in relaying information about nociceptive stimuli. The pathway from LPO glutamatergic neurons to the VTA represents an unpredicted interface between peripheral nociceptive information and the limbic system.
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