Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30926783›Full record

ArticleNature communications2019

Ventral tegmental area astrocytes orchestrate avoidance and approach behavior.

J A Gomez, J M Perkins, G M Beaudoin, N B Cook, S A Quraishi, E A Szoeke, K Thangamani, C W Tschumi, M J Wanat, A M Maroof and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
49citing papers in PubMed
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

49 citing papers in PubMed, 85 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Hippocampal astrocytic sequences emerge during learning and memory.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Midbrain PAG Astrocytes Modulate Mouse Defensive and Panic-Like Behaviors.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Astrocytes in Rodent Anxiety-Related Behavior: Role of Calcium and Beyond.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Local extracellular KProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023
    Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

J A GomezUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9316-2284
J M PerkinsUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
G M BeaudoinUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4217-4370
N B CookUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
S A QuraishiUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
E A SzoekeUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
K ThangamaniUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
C W TschumiAging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
M J WanatUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1643-6557
A M MaroofUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
M J BecksteadAging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
P A RosenbergDepartment of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5185-1118
C A PaladiniUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Neurosciences Institute, Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA. carlos.paladini@utsa.edu.
Neurosciences Institute · USOklahoma Medical Research Foundation · USBoston Children's Hospital · US

Funding

UTSA RISE Research Training ProgramR25GM060655 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI BAREA-RODRIGUEZ, EDWIN J · 2000 to 2022
$21.6M
RCMI Center for Interdiscplinary Health Research CIHRG12MD007591 · NIMHD · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI PERRY, GEORGE · 2012 to 2016
$10.4M
The Role of Cell-Type Specific Expression of GLT1 at Excitatory SynapsesR01NS066019 · NINDS · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI ROSENBERG, PAUL ALLEN · 2010 to 2014
$2.8M
Cellular mechanisms of dopamine neuron burstingR01MH107229 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI HSIEH, JENNY · 2016 to 2020
$1.8M
The role of dendrodendritic dopamine neurotransmission in methamphetamine abuseR01DA032701 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI BECKSTEAD, MICHAEL J · 2013 to 2017
$1.7M
The Synaptic Origin of Reward Prediction Error Signal in Dopaminergic NeuronsR01DA030530 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI PALADINI, CARLOS ANTONIO · 2011 to 2015
$1.4M
Cellular Mechanisms of Dopamine Neuron BurstingR01MH079276 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI PALADINI, CARLOS ANTONIO · 2007 to 2011
$1.2M
CRF and Stress Modulation of Phasic Dopamine Release and BehaviorR00DA033386 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI WANAT, MATTHEW J. · 2014 to 2016
$724k
Neuronal regulation of glutamate homeostasis R21MH104318 · NIMH · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI ROSENBERG, PAUL ALLEN · 2015 to 2016
$498k
Dopamine's role in changing subjective preferenceR21DA042362 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI WANAT, MATTHEW J. · 2017 to 2018
$404k
In Vivo whole-cell recordings of dopamine neurons in awake behaving miceR21MH113341 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · PI PALADINI, CARLOS ANTONIO · 2017 to 2018
$383k
CRF and Stress Modulation of Phasic Dopamine Release and BehaviorK99DA033386 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI WANAT, MATTHEW J. · 2013 to 2013
$108k
NIDA NIH HHS F31 DA041303NIDA NIH HHS K99 DA033386NIDA NIH HHS R00 DA033386NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA030530NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA032701NIDA NIH HHS R21 DA042362NIGMS NIH HHS R25 GM060655NIMHD NIH HHS G12 MD007591NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH079276NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH107229NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH104318NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH113341NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS066019
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a heterogeneous midbrain structure, containing neurons and astrocytes, that coordinates behaviors by integrating activity from numerous afferents. Within neuron-astrocyte networks, astrocytes control signals from distinct afferents in a circuit-specific manner, but whether this capacity scales up to drive motivated behavior has been undetermined. Using genetic and optical dissection strategies we report that VTA astrocytes tune glutamatergic signaling selectively on local inhibitory neurons to drive a functional circuit for learned avoidance. In this circuit, astrocytes facilitate excitation of VTA GABA neurons to increase inhibition of dopamine neurons, eliciting real-time and learned avoidance behavior that is sufficient to impede expression of preference for reward. Loss of one glutamate transporter (GLT-1) from VTA astrocytes selectively blocks these avoidance behaviors and spares preference for reward. Thus, VTA astrocytes selectively regulate excitation of local GABA neurons to drive a distinct avoidance circuit that opposes approach behavior.

Indexed as

Amino Acid Transport System X-AGAnimalsAstrocytesAvoidance LearningChoice BehaviorDopaminergic NeuronsFemaleGABAergic NeuronsGlutamic AcidMaleMice, Inbred C57BLModels, BiologicalNeural InhibitionVentral Tegmental AreaAmino Acid Transport System X-AGGlutamic Acid

Identifiers

PMID30926783
PMCPMC6440962
OpenAlexW2952088983

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.