title: Circuit organization of sugar reinforcement.
abstract: Sugar's potent reinforcing properties arise from the complex interplay between gustatory and nutritive signals. This commentary addresses a unique organizational aspect of the neuronal circuitry that mediates sugar reinforcement in both Drosophila and rodents. Specifically, current evidence supports a general circuit model where separate populations of dopaminergic neurons encode the gustatory and nutritive values of sugar. This arrangement allows animals to prioritize energy seeking over taste quality, and implies that specialized subpopulations of dopamine-containing neurons form a class of evolutionary conserved chemo- and nutrient-sensors.
authors.affiliation: The John B Pierce Laboratory, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Physiology, Yale University School of Arts and Sciences, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: IAraujo@jbpierce.org.
authors.forename: Ivan E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: de Araujo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000737:chemistry; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: Dopamine; Drosophila; Mouse; Reward; Sugar; Sweetness