Cited by 191Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeurological disorders and treatments

FosB differentially modulates nucleus accumbens direct and indirect pathway function

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Grueter, Brad A., Robison, Alfred J., Neve, Rachael L., Nestler, Eric J., Malenka, Robert C.·2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Synaptic modifications in nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons (MSNs) play a key role in adaptive and pathological reward-dependent learning, including maladaptive responses involved in drug addiction. NAc MSNs participate in two parallel circuits, direct and indirect pathways that subserve distinct behavioral functions. Modification of NAc MSN synapses may occur in part via changes in the transcriptional potential of certain genes in a cell type–specific manner. The transcription factor ∆FosB is one of the key proteins implicated in the gene expression changes in NAc caused by drugs of abuse, yet its effects on synaptic function in NAc MSNs are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of ∆FosB decreased excitatory synaptic strength and likely increased silent synapses onto D1 dopamine receptor–expressing direct pathway MSNs in both the NAc shell and core. In contrast, ∆FosB likely decreased silent synapses onto NAc shell, but not core, D2 dopamine receptor–expressing indirect pathway MSNs. Analysis of NAc MSN dendritic spine morphology revealed that ∆FosB increased the density of immature spines in D1 direct but not D2 indirect pathway MSNs. To determine the behavioral consequences of cell type-specific actions of ∆FosB, we selectively overexpressed ∆FosB in D1 direct or D2 indirect MSNs in NAc in vivo and found that direct (but not indirect) pathway MSN expression enhances behavioral responses to cocaine. These results reveal that ∆FosB in NAc differentially modulates synaptic properties and reward-related behaviors in a cell type- and subregion-specific fashion.

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  • Expressing ΔFosB in all nucleus accumbens neurons increases overall resilience and excitatory transmission.

    “Despite enhancements in overall resilience and excitatory transmission following expression of ΔFosB in all NAc neurons, overexpression in a stress naïve mice decreased excitatory synaptic strength in D1-MSNs via an increased number of silent synapses and stubby spines, while in D2-MSNs, overexpression increased excitatory transmission in the shell and decreased silent synapses (85).”
  • In stress-naïve mice, overexpressing ΔFosB lowers excitatory synaptic strength in D1 medium spiny neurons by increasing silent synapses and stubby spines.

    “Despite enhancements in overall resilience and excitatory transmission following expression of ΔFosB in all NAc neurons, overexpression in a stress naïve mice decreased excitatory synaptic strength in D1-MSNs via an increased number of silent synapses and stubby spines, while in D2-MSNs, overexpression increased excitatory transmission in the shell and decreased silent synapses (85).”
  • In stress-naïve mice, overexpressing ΔFosB raises excitatory transmission in the shell and reduces silent synapses in D2 medium spiny neurons.

    “Despite enhancements in overall resilience and excitatory transmission following expression of ΔFosB in all NAc neurons, overexpression in a stress naïve mice decreased excitatory synaptic strength in D1-MSNs via an increased number of silent synapses and stubby spines, while in D2-MSNs, overexpression increased excitatory transmission in the shell and decreased silent synapses (85).”

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  1. Robison AJ, et al. (2013) Behavioral and structural responses to chronic cocaine re- quire a feed-forward loop involving ΔFosB and CaMKII in the nucleus accumbens shell. J Neurosci, in press.

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Authors
Grueter, B. A., Robison, A. J., Neve, R. L., Nestler, E. J., & Malenka, R. C.
Affiliations
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
  • Michigan State University (US)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2013-01-14
Volume
110
Issue
5
Pages
1923-1928
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2114303122
Cited by
191
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 18
FWCI
12.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH051399)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R37DA007359, K99DA031699, P01DA008227, R01DA007359, R01DA014133)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Neurological disorders and treatments
Keywords
ΔFosB, nucleus accumbens, direct pathway, indirect pathway, medium spiny neurons, silent synapses, dopamine D1 receptor, dopamine D2 receptor, dendritic spine morphology, cocaine reward, drug addiction, cell type-specific gene expression
MeSH terms
Animals, Cocaine, Conditioning, Psychological, Luminescent Proteins, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Motor Activity, Synaptic Transmission, Nucleus Accumbens, Synapses, Tetrodotoxin, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos, Receptors, Dopamine D1, Receptors, Dopamine D2, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Microscopy, Confocal, Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors, Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials, Sodium Channel Blockers, Dendritic Spines, Mice, In Vitro Techniques

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