Median preoptic GABA and glutamate neurons exert differential control over sleep behavior

Previous studies suggest that the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) of the hypothalamus plays an important role in regulating the wake-sleep cycle and, in particular, homeostatic sleep drive. However, the precise cellular phenotypes, targets, and central mechanisms by which the MnPO neurons regulate th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current biology 2022-05, Vol.32 (9), p.2011-2021.e3
Main Authors: Machado, Natalia L.S., Todd, William D., Kaur, Satvinder, Saper, Clifford B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
GABAergic neurons
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - metabolism
glutamatergic neurons
Glutamic Acid - metabolism
median preoptic nucleus
Mice
Neurons - physiology
Preoptic Area - physiology
Sleep - physiology
sleep homeostasis
stress-induced insomnia
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Summary:Previous studies suggest that the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) of the hypothalamus plays an important role in regulating the wake-sleep cycle and, in particular, homeostatic sleep drive. However, the precise cellular phenotypes, targets, and central mechanisms by which the MnPO neurons regulate the wake-sleep cycle remain unknown. Both excitatory and inhibitory MnPO neurons innervate brain regions implicated in sleep promotion and maintenance, suggesting that both cell types may participate in sleep control. Using genetically targeted approaches, we investigated the role of the MnPO GABAergic (MnPOVgat) and glutamatergic (MnPOVglut2) neurons in modulating wake-sleep behavior of mice. We found that both neuron populations differentially participate in wake-sleep control, with MnPOVgat neurons being involved in sleep homeostasis and MnPOVglut2 neurons facilitating sleep during allostatic (stressful) challenges. [Display omitted] •Activation of MnPO GABA neurons drive NREM sleep during the dark (active) phase•MnPO/Vgat-ablated mice show less time spent in NREM sleep during the light phase•MnPO/Vgat-ablated mice need a higher degree of sleep pressure to recover NREM sleep•Ablation of MnPO/Vglut2 neurons exacerbates stress-induced insomnia Machado et al. show that GABA neurons in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) mediate sleep homeostatic drive, whereas glutamate neurons modulate the effects of acute stress on sleep.
ISSN:0960-9822
1879-0445
DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.039