Dopamine D2 receptor signaling on iMSNs is required for initiation and vigor of learned actions

• Published in: Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 45; no. 12; pp. 2087 - 2097
• Main Authors: Augustin, Shana M, Loewinger, Gabriel C, O'Neal, Timothy J, Kravitz, Alexxai V, Lovinger, David M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.11.2020; Springer International Publishing
• Subjects: Animals; Associative learning; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Corpus Striatum - metabolism; Discrimination learning; Dopamine; Dopamine D2 receptors; Learning; Maze learning; Mice; Neostriatum; Operant conditioning; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - genetics; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - metabolism; Reinforcement; Spiny neurons; Synaptic transmission

Striatal dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) are important for motor output. Selective deletion of D2Rs from indirect pathway-projecting medium spiny neurons (iMSNs) impairs locomotor activities in a task-specific manner. However, the role of D2Rs in the initiation of motor actions in reward seeking and ta...