The complex behaviors underlying reward seeking and consumption are integral to organism survival. The hypothalamus and mesolimbic dopamine system are key mediators of these behaviors, yet regulation of appetitive and consummatory behaviors outside of these regions is poorly understood. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has been implicated in feeding and reward, but the neurons and circuit mechanisms that positively regulate these behaviors remain unclear. Here, we defined the neuronal mechanisms by which CeA neurons promote food consumption. Using in vivo activity manipulations and Ca²⁺ imaging in mice, we found that GABAergic serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a)-expressing CeA neurons modulate food consumption, promote positive reinforcement and are active in vivo during eating. We demonstrated electrophysiologically, anatomically and behaviorally that intra-CeA and long-range circuit mechanisms underlie these behaviors. Finally, we showed that CeA^Htr2a neurons receive inputs from feeding-relevant brain regions. Our results illustrate how defined CeA neural circuits positively regulate food consumption.

中文翻译：

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中央杏仁核回路通过正价机制调节食物消耗。

寻求奖励和消费的基本行为是有机体生存所不可或缺的。下丘脑和中脑边缘多巴胺系统是这些行为的关键介体，但对这些区域之外的食欲和消费行为的调节知之甚少。杏仁核（CeA）的中央核已牵涉进食和奖励，但积极调节这些行为的神经元和回路机制仍不清楚。在这里，我们定义了CeA神经元促进食物消费的神经元机制。使用体内活性操作和Ca ²⁺在小鼠体内成像中，我们发现表达GABA能的血清素受体2a（Htr2a）的CeA神经元调节食物消耗，促进正向增强并在进食期间在体内活跃。我们从电生理学，解剖学和行为学方面证明了这些行为是CeA内和远程电路机制的基础。最后，我们显示CeA ^Htr2a神经元从与进食相关的大脑区域接收输入。我们的研究结果说明了定义的CeA神经回路如何积极调节食物消耗。