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Published on: March 27, 2018
Serotonin modulates nucleus accumbens circuits to suppress aggression in mice
Zihui Zhang1,2, Gavin C Touponse1, Pia J Alderman1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
None:
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5HT) has long been considered anti-aggressive, but the mechanisms by which 5HT regulates downstream circuits to control aggression remain unclear. Combining fiber photometry, optogenetics, and miniaturized microscope recordings in double-transgenic male mice, we find that 5HT levels ramp up in the nucleus accumbens during aggression, inhibiting a subset of D1 medium spiny neurons to suppress attacks. Our results reveal a novel 5HT-mediated neuromodulatory mechanism for limiting aggressive behavior.
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