RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe regulate visual attention
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2024.09.29.615662
DO 10.1101/2024.09.29.615662
A1 Lehnert, Jonas
A1 Cha, Kuwook
A1 Forestell, Julia
A1 Yang, Kerry
A1 Ma, Xinyue
A1 Britt, Jonathan
A1 Khadra, Anmar
A1 Cook, Erik P.
A1 Krishnaswamy, Arjun
YR 2024
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2024/10/01/2024.09.29.615662.abstract
AB Visual attention enhances the neural representation of salient stimuli within the visual cortex. It is generally thought that this enhancement is driven by glutamatergic feedback from frontal cortical areas. Here we report the unexpected observation that dorsal raphe (DR) derived serotonin (5HT) controls visual attention. We developed a behavioral model that captured the way mice allocated attention to cued and uncued visual locations and features. Simultaneous photometry showed reduced DR activity when mice deployed attention to the cued locations and features, whereas high DR activity was observed when mice were less attentive. Optogenetic excitation of DR-5HT neurons impaired attention to the cue and degraded behavioral performance, while optogenetic suppression improved attention and performance. A genetically encoded sensor of 5HT release showed reduced 5HT levels in visual cortex when mice attend and detect stimuli. These results demonstrate that DR-5HT neurons are members of the brain’s attentional circuit and suggest that 5HT is a novel biological carrier of visual attention.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.