4.8 Article

A forebrain neural substrate for behavioral thermoregulation

Journal

NEURON
Volume 110, Issue 2, Pages 266-+

Publisher

CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.039

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Funding

  1. Creative-Pioneering Researchers Program of Seoul National University
  2. National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) - Korean government (MSIT) [2020R1C1C1003350, 2021M3H4A1A03048661]
  3. Korea Health Technology R&D Project from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) - Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea [HI15C2887, HI17C2665]
  4. Human Frontier Science Program [RGY0064/2017]
  5. National Research Foundation of Korea [2020R1C1C1003350, 2021M3H4A1A03048661] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)

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This study demonstrates the vital role of Vgat-expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LHVgat neurons) in thermoregulatory behavior, showing that their population activity encodes thermal punishment and reward bidirectionally. The study also reveals a subpopulation of LHVgat neurons that specifically encode thermal punishment and reward, which is distinct from their encoding of caloric reward.
Thermoregulatory behavior is a basic motivated behavior for body temperature homeostasis. Despite its fundamental importance, a forebrain region or defined neural population required for this process has yet to be established. Here, we show that Vgat-expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LHVgat neurons) are required for diverse thermoregulatory behaviors. The population activity of LHVgat neurons is increased during thermoregulatory behavior and bidirectionally encodes thermal punishment and reward (P&R). Although this population also regulates feeding and caloric reward, inhibition of parabrachial inputs selectively impaired thermoregulatory behaviors and encoding of thermal stimulus by LHVgat neurons. Furthermore, two-photon calcium imaging revealed a subpopulation of LHVgat neurons bidirectionally encoding thermal P&R, which is engaged during thermoregulatory behavior, but is largely distinct from caloric reward-encoding LHVgat neurons. Our data establish LHVgat neurons as a required neural substrate for behavioral thermoregulation and point to the key role of the thermal P&R-encoding LHVgat subpopulation in thermoregulatory behavior.

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