PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - María Luisa Torruella-Súarez
AU  - Jessica R. Vandenberg
AU  - Gregory J. Tipton
AU  - Brennon R. Luster
AU  - Kedar Dange
AU  - Gunjan K. Patel
AU  - Jenna A. McHenry
AU  - J. Andrew Hardaway
AU  - Pranish A. Kantak
AU  - Nicole A. Crowley
AU  - Jeffrey F. DiBerto
AU  - Sara P. Faccidomo
AU  - Clyde W. Hodge
AU  - Garret D. Stuber
AU  - Zoé A. McElligott
TI  - Manipulation of central amygdala neurotensin neurons alters alcohol consumption
AID  - 10.1101/245274
DP  - 2018 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 245274
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/01/09/245274.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/01/09/245274.full
AB  - The central nucleus of the amygdala plays a significant role in alcohol use and other affective disorders; however, the genetically-defined neuronal subtypes and their projections that govern these behaviors are not well known. Here we show that ablation of neurotensin-expressing neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala of mice decreases their ethanol consumption and preference for ethanol. Furthermore, optogenetically stimulating projections from these neurons to the parabrachial nucleus is reinforcing, and increases ethanol consumption while reducing food consumption. These data suggest that this central amygdala to parabrachial nucleus projection influences the expression of reward-related phenotypes and is a novel circuit promoting alcohol consumption and regulating state-dependent food consumption.