@article {49244,
	title = {Nicotinic cholinergic receptors in VTA glutamate neurons modulate excitatory transmission.},
	journal = {Cell Reports},
	volume = {23},
	year = {2018},
	month = {2018 May 22},
	pages = {2236-2244},
	abstract = {<p>Ventral tegmental area (VTA) glutamate neurons are important components of reward circuitry, but whether they are subject to cholinergic modulation is unknown. To study this, we used molecular, physiological, and photostimulation techniques to examine nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in VTA glutamate neurons. Cells in the medial VTA, where glutamate neurons are enriched, are responsive to acetylcholine (ACh) released from cholinergic axons. VTA VGLUT2 neurons express mRNA and protein subunits known to comprise heteromeric nAChRs. Electrophysiology, coupled with two-photon microscopy and laser flash photolysis of photoactivatable nicotine, was used to demonstrate nAChR functional activity in the somatodendritic subcellular compartment of VTA VGLUT2 neurons. Finally, optogenetic isolation of intrinsic VTA glutamatergic microcircuits along with gene-editing techniques demonstrated that nicotine potently modulates excitatory transmission within the VTA via heteromeric nAChRs. These results indicate that VTA glutamate neurons are modulated by cholinergic mechanisms and participate in the cascade of physiological responses to nicotine exposure.</p>
},
	issn = {2211-1247},
	doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2018.04.062},
	author = {Yan, Yijin and Peng, Can and Arvin, Matthew C and Jin, Xiao-Tao and Kim, Veronica J and Ramsey, Matthew D and Wang, Yong and Banala, Sambashiva and Wokosin, David L and McIntosh, J Michael and Lavis, Luke D and Drenan, Ryan M}
}
@article {49121,
	title = {Photoactivatable drugs for nicotinic optopharmacology.},
	journal = {Nature Methods},
	volume = {15},
	year = {2018},
	month = {2018 Mar 26},
	pages = {347-50},
	abstract = {<p>Photoactivatable pharmacological agents have revolutionized neuroscience, but the palette of available compounds is limited. We describe a general method for caging tertiary amines by using a stable quaternary ammonium linkage that elicits a red shift in the activation wavelength. We prepared a photoactivatable nicotine (PA-Nic), uncageable via one- or two-photon excitation, that is useful to study nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in different experimental preparations and spatiotemporal scales.</p>
},
	issn = {1548-7105},
	doi = {10.1038/nmeth.4637},
	author = {Banala, Sambashiva and Arvin, Matthew C and Bannon, Nicholas M and Jin, Xiao-Tao and Macklin, John J and Wang, Yong and Peng, Can and Zhao, Guiqing and Marshall, John J and Gee, Kyle R and Wokosin, David L and Kim, Veronica J and McIntosh, J Michael and Contractor, Anis and Lester, Henry A and Kozorovitskiy, Yevgenia and Drenan, Ryan M and Lavis, Luke D}
}
