title: Orexin B/hypocretin 2 increases glutamatergic transmission to ventral tegmental area neurons.
abstract: The orexins (hypocretins) play a crucial role in arousal, feeding and reward. Highly relevant to these functions, orexin-containing neurons from the lateral hypothalamus project densely to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is the origin of dopamine projections implicated in motivation and reward. Orexin A/hypocretin 1 (oxA/hcrt-1) can enable long-term changes associated with drugs of abuse; however, the effects of orexin B/hypocretin 2 (oxB/hcrt-2) on excitatory synaptic transmission in the VTA are unknown. We used whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology in rat horizontal midbrain slices to examine the effects of oxB/hcrt-2 on excitatory synaptic transmission. We observed that oxB/hcrt-2 has distinct effects from oxA/hcrt-1 in the VTA. oxB/Hcrt-2 (100 nM) increased presynaptic glutamate release in addition to a postsynaptic potentiation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs). The oxB/hcrt-2-mediated postsynaptic potentiation of NMDARs was mediated via activation of orexin/hypocretin 2 (OX2/Hcrt-2) receptors and protein kinase C (PKC). Furthermore, the increase in transmitter release probability was also PKC-dependent, but not through activation of orexin/hypocretin 1 (OX1/Hcrt-1) or OX2/Hcrt-2 receptors. Finally, oxB/hcrt-2 or the selective OX2/Hcrt-2 receptor agonist ala(11)-D-leu(15)-orexin B, significantly reduced spike-timing-induced long-term potentiation. Taken together, these results support a dual role for oxB/hcrt-2 in mediating enhanced glutamatergic transmission in the VTA, and suggest that oxA/hcrt-1 and oxB/hcrt-2 exert different functional roles in modulating the enhancement of the motivational components of arousal and feeding.
authors.affiliation: Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. borgland@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Borgland
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Storm
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D000068797:Orexins; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D000068797:Orexins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D011493:Protein Kinase C