Dopamine modulates visual threat processing in the superior colliculus via D2 receptors

Quentin Montardy; Zheng Zhou; Lei Li; Qingning Yang; Zhuogui Lei; Xiaolong Feng; Shanping Chen; Qianqian Shi; Huiqi Zhang; Shuran Chen; Zhijian Zhang; Binghao Zhao; Fuqiang Xu; Zhonghua Lu; Liping Wang

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.104388

Dopamine modulates visual threat processing in the superior colliculus via D2 receptors

iScience. 2022 May 11;25(6):104388. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104388. eCollection 2022 Jun 17.

Authors

Quentin Montardy^{1

2}, Zheng Zhou^{1

2

3}, Lei Li^{1

2

4}, Qingning Yang^{1

2}, Zhuogui Lei^{1

2

5}, Xiaolong Feng^{1

2}, Shanping Chen^{1

2

4}, Qianqian Shi^{1

2}, Huiqi Zhang^{1

2}, Shuran Chen^{1

2

4}, Zhijian Zhang⁶, Binghao Zhao^{1

2

4}, Fuqiang Xu^{1

2

4}, Zhonghua Lu^{1

2

4}, Liping Wang^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen University Town, Shenzhen 518055, China.
² Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China.
³ McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
⁴ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.
⁶ Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems and State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.

Abstract

Innate defensive responses, unlearned behaviors improving individuals' chances of survival, have been found to involve the dopamine (DA) system. In the superior colliculus (SC), known for its role in defensive behaviors to visual threats, neurons expressing dopaminergic receptors of type 1 (Drd1+) and of type 2 (Drd2+) have been identified. We hypothesized that SC neurons expressing dopaminergic receptors may play a role in promoting innate defensive responses. Optogenetic activation of SC Drd2+ neurons, but not Drd1+ neurons, triggered defensive behaviors. Chemogenetic inhibition of SC Drd2+ neurons decreased looming-induced defensive behaviors, as well as pretreatment with the pharmacological Drd2+ agonist quinpirole, suggesting an essential role of Drd2 receptors in the regulation of innate defensive behavior. Input and output viral tracing revealed SC Drd2+ neurons mainly receive moderate inputs from the locus coeruleus (LC). Our results suggest a sophisticated regulatory role of DA and its receptor system in innate defensive behavior.

Keywords: Biological sciences; Molecular neuroscience; neuroscience.