Synaptic dysfunction of Aldh1a1 neurons in the ventral tegmental area causes impulsive behaviors

作者：Xinyan Li, Wenting Chen, Xian Huang, Wei Jing, Tongmei Zhang, Quntao Yu, Hongyan Yu, Hao Li, Qing Tian, Yumei Ding, Youming Lu · 发表于：Molecular Neurodegeneration · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1186/s13024-021-00494-9 · 被引用次数：20 · 研究领域：Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research、Memory and Neural Mechanisms、GABA and Rice Research

BACKGROUND: Aldh1a1 neurons are a subtype of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory neurons that use Aldh1a1 rather than glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) as an enzyme for synthesizing GABA transmitters. However, the behaviors and circuits of this newly identified subtype of inhibitory interneurons remain unknown. METHODS: We generated a mutant mouse line in which cyclization recombination enzyme (CRE) was expressed under the control of the Aldh1a1 promotor (Aldh1a1-CRE mice). Using this mutant strain of mice together with the heterozygous male Alzheimer's disease (AD) related model mice (APPswe/PSEN1dE9, or AD mice) and a genetically modified retrograde and anterograde synaptic tracing strategy, we have studied a specific synaptic circuit of Aldh1a1 neurons with system-level function and disease progression in AD mice. RESULTS: We demonstrate that Aldh1a1 neurons encode delay of gratification that measures self-control skills in decision making by projecting inhibitory synapses directly onto excitatory glutamate neurons in the intermediate lateral septum (EGNIS) and receiving synaptic inputs from layer 5b pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (L5PN). L5PN → Aldh1a1 synaptic transmission undergoes long-term potentiation (LTP). Pathway specific inhibition by either genetic silencing presynaptic terminals or antagonizing postsynaptic receptors impairs delay of gratification, resulting in the impulsive behaviors. Further studies show that reconstitution of Aldh1a1-def...