Our new preprint: 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

We describe how the LS guides defensive responses by forming critical computations built from functionally and molecularly distinct cells and their afferent inputs.

www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...

Amazing work by the Andermann Lab showcasing a perfect use-case for FLIM imaging of dopamine sensors - looking at tonic [DA] changes and adaptations over days! Honored to be part of this effort.

Featuring 2p FLIM to track DA levels over days, and a demonstration that a neurons molecular identity is pretty labile @stephen-zhang.bsky.social @markandermann.bsky.social

P.S: Praneel will be applying to MD PhD and is an absolute beast. Systems neuro labs don’t miss out!!

Wild!

Stephen, Praneel and their team use fluorescence lifetime imaging and various manipulations to show that, in male mice, both mating drive and hypothalamic tonic dopamine release drop after a successful mating and gradually recover over the next week, paralleling the recovery in sperm count.

Praneel's study shows that two temporally complementary mechanisms, neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter composition, jointly control dopamine release and mating drive over days. Praneel is a dedicated, mature, and wholesome student on his way to becoming a physician scientist.

9/n: A huge thank you to @stephen-zhang.bsky.social for your incredible mentorship over the past few years and for helping me discover my passion for science—and to @markandermann.bsky.social for your guidance and the opportunity to work on this project.
Thanks for reading!

8/n: Deeply thankful to everyone who made this work possible- Jep Madara, Lauren Christenson, Adrianna Diaz, Janelle Chen, and our collaborators Luca Ravotto and @tpatriarchi.bsky.social. Grateful to be learning from you all!

7/n: First, the tonic firing rates of AVPV/PVpo dopamine neurons decrease after satiety but recover within 2 days. Second, the capacity of these neurons to synthesize and release dopamine is reduced and gradually returns over ~7 days.

6/n: Taken together, our findings argue for a two-component recovery timer that regulates the gradual changes in dopamine transmission and in mating behavior to calibrate motivation over days.

5/n: We next asked if the ability of these neurons to synthesize and release dopamine had been altered. Sure enough, we found that the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis) within these neurons decreased after satiety and gradually returned over a week.

4/n: Electrophysiology revealed that these dopamine neurons in the AVPV/PVpo have diminished spontaneous firing after satiety. However, their firing rates recovered within 2 days, suggesting that firing rates weren’t the full story.

3/n: This drop in dopamine tracks the mouse’s disinterest in mating. Our previous work showed that the dopamine was released from neighboring AVPV/PVpo dopamine neurons. We next asked how these neurons are working to control this drop and gradual recovery?

2/n: Thus, we first used 2-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging to measure changes in absolute dopamine concentrations in this brain region. After satiation, dopamine in the MPOA plummets, then gradually returns over 7 days.

1/n: After a successful mating, male mice have a greatly reduced motivation to mate, which gradually returns over a week —but what controls how long this refractory period lasts? We and others have shown that dopamine transmission in the MPOA is critical for controlling this mating drive.

I am excited to share our preprint on how hypothalamic dopamine neurons govern slow changes in motivation over days! Below are our findings:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We've had advances in green genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs), but what about red-shifted GECIs? @piatkevich.bsky.social &co present SomaFRCaMPi, a new soma-localized red #GECI that exhibits improved accuracy & sensitivity for in vivo neuronal imaging @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3YnCqRW

Our latest findings on social behavior circuits is out: how does the brain responds to social isolation? Terrific work by @dingliu.bsky.social et al. uncovering a circuit with similar neural architecture as physiological needs (hunger, thirst, sleep..). Detailed thread soon.
rdcu.be/ebo63

Petition to Reverse the NIH Indirect Cost Cap initiated by Tom Maniatis. Please amplify
Sign the Petition: chng.it/kK2HMP5pGk
"Share with Leadership & Faculty. Reach out to professional societies, biotech and pharma leaders, and philanthropic organizations to raise awareness and mobilize support."

A Sensitive Soma-localized Red Fluorescent Calcium Indicator for Multi-Modality Imaging of Neuronal Populations In Vivo. It works well with wide-field imaging, two-photon microscopy, and fiber photometry biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Very good, concise summary of the gut-brain axis of communication and interoception
www.cell.com/current-biol... open-access

🌟 Cai Lab Nature (@natureportfolio.bsky.social) paper alert! In work led by Joe Zaki, we find that rest periods after learning not only stabilize new memories BUT ALSO integrate new memories with older ones from days past! (1/10)

Read it here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Stephen Zhang and the team found that in vivo peptide release and signaling gradually enhances responses of satiety-promoting hypothalamic neurons to each bite of food. These consequences of each bite take minutes to manifest, and could help explain why slow eating enhances satiety. rdcu.be/dZlI3

We wrote a review on analysis methods for large-scale neural recordings www.science.org/stoken/autho... @marius10p.bsky.social #neuroscience 🧪🧠

Anything we missed? Reply w/ your fav method!