| First Author | Allen WE | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Science | Volume | 357 |
| Issue | 6356 | Pages | 1149-1155 |
| PubMed ID | 28912243 | Mgi Jnum | J:250613 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5920279 | Doi | 10.1126/science.aan6747 |
| Citation | Allen WE, et al. (2017) Thirst-associated preoptic neurons encode an aversive motivational drive. Science 357(6356):1149-1155 |
| abstractText | Water deprivation produces a drive to seek and consume water. How neural activity creates this motivation remains poorly understood. We used activity-dependent genetic labeling to characterize neurons activated by water deprivation in the hypothalamic median preoptic nucleus (MnPO). Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed that dehydration-activated MnPO neurons consist of a single excitatory cell type. After optogenetic activation of these neurons, mice drank water and performed an operant lever-pressing task for water reward with rates that scaled with stimulation frequency. This stimulation was aversive, and instrumentally pausing stimulation could reinforce lever-pressing. Activity of these neurons gradually decreased over the course of an operant session. Thus, the activity of dehydration-activated MnPO neurons establishes a scalable, persistent, and aversive internal state that dynamically controls thirst-motivated behavior. |
