# Diverse control of motivational and consummatory feeding by a hindbrain dopaminergic neural circuit

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $359,500

## Abstract

Project Summary: The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is composed of DA neurons in the ventral
tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra compacta (SNc). It is well studied that DA neurons project
to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in mediation of reinforcement learning and reward. But the
physiological role of dopamine in specific control of appetite and the underlying neural circuit remain
elusive. To assess input-specific effects of motivational feeding behaviors, we employ a
multidisciplinary approach combining in vivo optogenetics, in vivo electrophysiology, viral-based
circuit tracing, and various behavioral paradigms. We identify a novel VTA-PBN neural circuit that
plays a pivotal role in control of appetitive and consummatory feeding. Here we suggest a novel
neural mechanism by which a subset of PBN-projecting DA and GABA neurons controls feeding and
body weight. We further identify a group of PBN neurons as the post-synaptic targets of the VTA
neurons that uniquely contribute to feeding and food-conditioned behavior. This project advances a
novel concept that a genetically distinguishable VTA-PBN neural circuit selectively and differentially
mediates appetitive response and consummatory feeding under distinct nutritional and cognitive
states.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10356552
- **Project number:** 1R01DK131596-01
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Qi Wu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $359,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-12-01 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10356552

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10356552, Diverse control of motivational and consummatory feeding by a hindbrain dopaminergic neural circuit (1R01DK131596-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10356552. Licensed CC0.

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