Topic: hM4D

DREADDs have revolutionized neuroscience research and hold promise for therapeutic applications. While their ability to modulate neuronal activity is well established, the specific signaling pathways they can trigger remain only partially explored. In this project, we therefore examine the signaling preferences of the human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 and M4 (hM3/4) and the respective DREADDs (hM3D and hM4D). Additionally, we evaluate the impact of the individual single point mutations Y3.33C and A5.46G, which convert the wild type receptors to the DREADD. We investigated signaling of

New spatial representations are initially encoded in a labile form by the hippocampus (HPC) and cansubsequently either be lost or stabilized into permanent traces. There is a suggestion that signals originatingfrom the VTA to the HPC play a significant role in this process. We tested the hypothesis that the VTA’sinfluence on memory persistence in the HPC could be modulated by inputs from the ventral striatum (VS).Utilizing transgenic mice expressing a Cre-dependent reporter dTomato, we verified the existence of anindirect pathway from the VS to the HPC via the VTA. For this purpose, we injecte