Neuron
Volume 87, Issue 5, 2 September 2015, Pages 1063-1077
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Article
Distinct Subpopulations of Nucleus Accumbens Dynorphin Neurons Drive Aversion and Reward

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.08.019Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Optogenetic excitation of nucleus accumbens dynorphin cells elicits dynorphin release

  • Discrete accumbens shell dynorphinergic populations drive either aversion or reward

  • These two nucleus accumbens subregions can be bi-directionally controlled

  • Both aversive and rewarding behaviors require kappa opioid receptors

Summary

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the dynorphinergic system are widely implicated in motivated behaviors. Prior studies have shown that activation of the dynorphin-kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system leads to aversive, dysphoria-like behavior. However, the endogenous sources of dynorphin in these circuits remain unknown. We investigated whether dynorphinergic neuronal firing in the NAc is sufficient to induce aversive behaviors. We found that photostimulation of dynorphinergic cells in the ventral NAc shell elicits robust conditioned and real-time aversive behavior via KOR activation, and in contrast, photostimulation of dorsal NAc shell dynorphin cells induced a KOR-mediated place preference and was positively reinforcing. These results show previously unknown discrete subregions of dynorphin-containing cells in the NAc shell that selectively drive opposing behaviors. Understanding the discrete regional specificity by which NAc dynorphinerigic cells regulate preference and aversion provides insight into motivated behaviors that are dysregulated in stress, reward, and psychiatric disease.

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