Congrats to Dillon McGovern, Mike Baratta, and team on the publication of our first collaboration on stress research! A lot more research has occurred since the original submission shown in our preprint at biorxiv.
Some highlights:
Behaviorally: Male and female mice show the effects uncontrollable stress differently. Males show reduced sociability and enhanced fear while females do not after stress. Females show reduced general exploratory behavior under mild threat (bright light) after stress. Male stress effects are dependent on the controllability of stress. Female mice show some effects dependent or independent on controllability.
Neurally: VTA glutamate neurons are required for the consequences of uncontrollable stress in both male and female mice. VTA glutamate neurons are activated by controllable and uncontrollable stress suggesting they do not discriminate the loss of control over stress (we’re working on where these neurons are though!). Genetically-distinct subtypes of VTA glutamate neurons are all activated by stress, but those that co-transmit glutamate and GABA are most activated. Lateral habenula neurons that receive synapses from VTA glutamate neurons are activated by stress (which we previously found were mostly from glutamate and GABA co-transmitting neurons), suggesting a cell-type specific pathway involved in the consequences of stress.
Check out the publication online ahead of print here
