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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Optogenetic Activation of Zebrafish Somatosensory Neurons using ChEF-tdTomato
Published on: January 31, 2013
Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons induces brain-wide activation
Hiro Taiyo Hamada1,2, Yoshifumi Abe3, Norio Takata3
1Neural Computation Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan. hamada_h@araya.org.
Abstract:
Serotonin is a neuromodulator that affects multiple behavioral and cognitive functions. Nonetheless, how serotonin causes such a variety of effects via brain-wide projections and various receptors remains unclear. Here we measured brain-wide responses to optogenetic stimulation of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of the male mouse brain using functional MRI with an 11.7 T scanner and a cryoprobe. Transient activation of DRN serotonin neurons caused brain-wide activation, including the medial prefrontal cortex, the striatum, and the ventral tegmental area. The same stimulation under anesthesia with isoflurane decreased brain-wide activation, including the hippocampal complex. These brain-wide response patterns can be explained by DRN serotonergic projection topography and serotonin receptor expression profiles, with enhanced weights on 5-HT1 receptors. Together, these results provide insight into the DR serotonergic system, which is consistent with recent discoveries of its functions in adaptive behaviors.
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