title: Parabrachial calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons mediate conditioned taste aversion.
abstract: Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is a phenomenon in which an individual forms an association between a novel tastant and toxin-induced gastrointestinal malaise. Previous studies showed that the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) contains neurons that are necessary for the acquisition of CTA, but the specific neuronal populations involved are unknown. Previously, we identified calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-expressing neurons in the external lateral subdivision of the PBN (PBel) as being sufficient to suppress appetite and necessary for the anorexigenic effects of appetite-suppressing substances including lithium chloride (LiCl), a compound often used to induce CTA. Here, we test the hypothesis that PBel CGRP neurons are sufficient and necessary for CTA acquisition in mice. We show that optogenetic activation of these neurons is sufficient to induce CTA in the absence of anorexigenic substances, whereas genetically induced silencing of these neurons attenuates acquisition of CTA upon exposure to LiCl. Together, these results demonstrate that PBel CGRP neurons mediate a gastrointestinal distress signal required to establish CTA.
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195.
authors: Matthew E
authors: ME
authors: Carter
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195.
authors: Sung
authors: S
authors: Han
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 palmiter@uw.edu.
authors: Richard D
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6587-0582
authors: RD
authors: Palmiter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D065823:Parabrachial Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: CGRP; CTA; ChR2; PBN; conditioned taste aversion; parabrachial