Optogenetic Study of Anterior BNST and Basomedial Amygdala Projections to the Ventromedial Hypothalamus

BMA glutamatergic principal neurons nt-f6anb9qecd functionally connects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Optogenetic stimulation of glutamatergic BM axons produced no response in any of the tested Vglut2-negative VMH shell neurons.

Fig. 5C; Results

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BMA glutamatergic principal neurons nt-f6anb9qecd projects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Cre-dependent ChR2-mCherry virus infused into BM of Vglut2-Cre mice produced high reporter expression in axons throughout the VMH core.

Fig. 5A1-A2; Results, Transmitter used by BM and BNSTa axons

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BMA (Basomedial amygdalar nucleus) MBA:319 projects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

After Cre-dependent ChR2-mCherry infusion into BM of Vgat-Cre mice, no anterogradely labelled axons were found in VMH, indicating GABAergic BM cells do not project there.

Abstract; Results, Transmitter used by BM and BNSTa axons

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BMA (Basomedial amygdalar nucleus) MBA:319 functionally connects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Blue light in VMH slices from Vgat-Cre mice with BM ChR2 infusions evoked no synaptic responses in 6 DM and 5 VL core neurons.

Fig. 5C; Results

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 functionally connects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Light activation of GABAergic BNSTa axons evoked IPSPs/IPSCs reversing near -66 mV in most Vgat-negative VMH core neurons, with smaller amplitudes than in shell cells and larger in VL than DM.

Fig. 5B3, 5C, Fig. 6

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BMA glutamatergic principal neurons nt-f6anb9qecd functionally connects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Light activation of ChR2-expressing glutamatergic BM axons evoked suprathreshold EPSPs from rest in every tested VMH core neuron (5 DM, 4 VL).

Fig. 5A3, 5C

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 functionally connects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic BNSTa axons produced IPSPs in every tested Vgat-positive shell neuron, larger in amplitude than those in core neurons.

Fig. 5C, Fig. 6

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 projects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Infusing the Cre-dependent virus into BNSTa of Vglut2-Cre mice produced only very little mCherry expression in VMH shell or core.

Results, Transmitter used by BM and BNSTa axons

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) is unsure. “The paper describes only 'very little' mCherry in VMH and frames it as a negative result, so present/weak cannot be settled.”

BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 functionally connects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Stimulating glutamatergic BNSTa axons generally failed to affect VMH core neurons; only one of 13 tested cells showed small (~2 mV) subthreshold EPSPs.

Fig. 5C; Results

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.

BST (Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis) MBA:351 projects to VMH (Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) MBA:693 · Mouse

Cre-dependent ChR2-mCherry infused into BNSTa of Vgat-Cre mice yielded pronounced labelled axons in the VMH shell and surrounding area rather than the core.

Fig. 5B1-B2; Results

Made by an AI model reading the paper (claude-opus-5-5, extract@0.3.0); a second AI model (claude-opus-5) agrees.