Abstract
AbstractInvestigative exploration and foraging leading to food consumption have vital importance, but are not well-understood. Since GABAergic inputs to the lateral and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (l/vlPAG) control such behaviors, we dissected the role of vgat-expressing GABAergic l/vlPAG cells in exploration, foraging and hunting. Here, we show that in mice vgat l/vlPAG cells encode approach to food and consumption of both live prey and non-prey foods. The activity of these cells is necessary and sufficient for inducing food-seeking leading to subsequent consumption. Activation of vgat l/vlPAG cells produces exploratory foraging and compulsive eating without altering defensive behaviors. Moreover, l/vlPAG vgat cells are bidirectionally interconnected to several feeding, exploration and investigation nodes, including the zona incerta. Remarkably, the vgat l/vlPAG projection to the zona incerta bidirectionally controls approach towards food leading to consumption. These data indicate the PAG is not only a final downstream target of top-down exploration and foraging-related inputs, but that it also influences these behaviors through a bottom-up pathway.
Funder
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
UC | UCLA | Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles
NSF | Directorate for Biological Sciences
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
National Science Foundation
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC