title: Basolateral amygdala rapid glutamate release encodes an outcome-specific representation vital for reward-predictive cues to selectively invigorate reward-seeking actions.
abstract: Environmental stimuli have the ability to generate specific representations of the rewards they predict and in so doing alter the selection and performance of reward-seeking actions. The basolateral amygdala participates in this process, but precisely how is unknown. To rectify this, we monitored, in near-real time, basolateral amygdala glutamate concentration changes during a test of the ability of reward-predictive cues to influence reward-seeking actions (Pavlovian-instrumental transfer). Glutamate concentration was found to be transiently elevated around instrumental reward seeking. During the Pavlovian-instrumental transfer test these glutamate transients were time-locked to and correlated with only those actions invigorated by outcome-specific motivational information provided by the reward-predictive stimulus (i.e., actions earning the same specific outcome as predicted by the presented CS). In addition, basolateral amygdala AMPA, but not NMDA glutamate receptor inactivation abolished the selective excitatory influence of reward-predictive cues over reward seeking. These data support [corrected] the hypothesis that transient glutamate release in the BLA can encode the outcome-specific motivational information provided by reward-predictive stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malvaez
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Venuz Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Greenfield
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Alice S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yorita
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Kay E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Linker
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Harold G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Monbouquette
authors.affiliation: 1] Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA [2] Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Kate M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wassum
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012201:Reward
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid