A cell type in the median preoptic nucleus integrates water intake over time and controls thirst behavior in mice. Thirst-quenching neural mechanisms To maintain homeostasis, physiological imbalances produce motivational drives. Thirst is one of the strongest drives. Allen et al. identified a distinct population of neurons in a brain region called the median preoptic nucleus that are activated during thirst (see the Perspective by Gizowski and Bourque). The activity of these neurons integrates the recent history of water intake and adaptively regulates goal-directed behavior. When thirsty, animals consume water, which in turn reduces the aversive activity of the neurons. This action is repeated until the level of aversion falls below the threshold necessary to evoke this behavior. Science, this issue p. 1149; see also p. 1092 Water deprivation produces a drive to seek and consume water. How neural activity creates this motivation remains poorly understood. We used activity-dependent genetic labeling to characterize neurons activated by water deprivation in the hypothalamic median preoptic nucleus (MnPO). Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed that dehydration-activated MnPO neurons consist of a single excitatory cell type. After optogenetic activation of these neurons, mice drank water and performed an operant lever-pressing task for water reward with rates that scaled with stimulation frequency. This stimulation was aversive, and instrumentally pausing stimulation could reinforce lever-pressing. Activity of these neurons gradually decreased over the course of an operant session. Thus, the activity of dehydration-activated MnPO neurons establishes a scalable, persistent, and aversive internal state that dynamically controls thirst-motivated behavior.

中文翻译：

---

口渴相关的视前神经元编码厌恶的动机驱动

中位视前核中的一种细胞类型随着时间的推移整合水的摄入并控制小鼠的口渴行为。解渴神经机制 为了维持体内平衡，生理失衡会产生动机驱动力。口渴是最强烈的驱动力之一。艾伦等人。在称为中位视前核的大脑区域中确定了一个独特的神经元群，这些神经元在口渴时被激活（参见 Gizowski 和 Bourque 的观点）。这些神经元的活动整合了最近的饮水历史，并自适应地调节目标导向行为。口渴时，动物会喝水，这反过来又会减少神经元的厌恶活动。重复此操作，直到厌恶程度低于引发此行为所需的阈值。科学，这个问题 p。1149; 另见 p. 1092 缺水会产生寻找和消耗水的动力。神经活动如何产生这种动机仍然知之甚少。我们使用活动依赖性基因标记来表征下丘脑正中视前核 (MnPO) 中因缺水而激活的神经元。单细胞转录分析显示脱水激活的 MnPO 神经元由单一的兴奋性细胞类型组成。在这些神经元的光遗传学激活后，小鼠喝水并执行操作性杠杆按压任务以获得水奖励，其速率随刺激频率而变化。这种刺激是令人厌恶的，用仪器暂停刺激可以加强杠杆按压。这些神经元的活动在操作过程中逐渐减少。因此，