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The Journal of Neuroscience, June 27, 2007, 27(26):6948-6955; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0514-07.2007

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Cellular/Molecular
Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons Terminate in a Distinct Region in the Lateral Hypothalamic Area and Do Not Directly Innervate Orexin/Hypocretin- or Melanin-Concentrating Hormone-Containing Neurons

Hiromi Sano and Mineto Yokoi

Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Horizontal Medical Research Organization, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan, and Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, 332-0012 Japan

Correspondence should be addressed to Mineto Yokoi, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Horizontal Medical Research Organization, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. Email: my151{at}mac.com

Neuronal circuits including medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-containing neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) are hypothesized to play an important role in hedonic feeding. A reciprocal connection between NAc MSNs and MCH-containing neurons is proposed to form a neuronal circuit that is involved in hedonic feeding. Although NAc MSNs have been shown to receive projection from MCH-containing neurons, it is not known whether MCH-containing neurons in the LHA also receive direct inputs from NAc MSNs. Here, we developed a genetic approach that allows us to visualize almost all striatal MSNs including NAc MSNs. We demonstrate that striatal MSNs terminate in a distinct region within the anterior LHA, and that the terminal area of striatal MSNs in this region contains glutamatergic neurons and is distinctly separate from orexin/hypocretin- or MCH-containing neurons. These observations suggest that NAc MSNs do not directly innervate MCH-containing neurons, but may indirectly signal MCH-containing neurons via glutamatergic neurons in the anterior LHA.

Key words: striatal medium spiny neurons; axon terminals; lateral hypothalamic area; melanin-concentrating hormone; hedonic feeding; transgenic mice

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Received Feb. 5, 2007; revised May 15, 2007; accepted May 21, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Mineto Yokoi, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Horizontal Medical Research Organization, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. Email: my151{at}mac.com

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				H. Zheng, L. M. Patterson, and H.-R. Berthoud Orexin Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area Is Required for High-Fat Appetite Induced by Opioid Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens J. Neurosci., October 10, 2007; 27(41): 11075 - 11082. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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