{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T00:29:23Z","timestamp":1791419363274,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":101,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,10]],"date-time":"2025-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754784000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["DK092651"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DK092651"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["5R01AA026078\u201005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["5R01AA026078\u201005"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["The Journal of Physiology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>The midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) shapes goal\u2010oriented behaviours, including food intake, via dense dopaminergic projections to many key forebrain areas. In addition, the VTA serves as an integrator of neural inputs from throughout the brain that modulate VTA output to produce broad, state\u2010dependent, changes that reflect the balance of internal and external considerations. The brainstem nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is the primary site for integration of viscerosensory and taste information conveyed through the cranial nerves and is essential for the control of food intake. Importantly, the NTS has been shown to form direct connections with the VTA, but little is known about the anatomical and neurophysiological nature of these projecting neurons. Using VTA\u2010targeted retrobead injections, we characterized a subpopulation of NTS neurons that form monosynaptic connections to the VTA distributed across all levels of the nucleus, with higher counts in the medial and caudal NTS. VTA\u2010projecting NTS neurons were largely catecholaminergic and\/or GLP\u20101 containing, with the majority also expressing VGlut2, consistent with an excitatory glutamatergic phenotype. Functionally, VTA\u2010projecting NTS neurons had noticeably different neurophysiological properties compared with unlabelled NTS neurons, with the majority being polysynaptically (higher\u2010order) coupled to the viscerosensory afferents. Moreover, in contrast to unlabelled neurons, recorded VTA\u2010projecting NTS neurons were largely inhibited by the feeding peptide cholecystokinin (CCK). Together, these findings demonstrate the distinct phenotypic and functional properties of VTA\u2010projecting NTS neurons that may play a role in regulating mesolimbic output to control appetitive feeding responses.\n<jats:boxed-text content-type=\"graphic\" position=\"anchor\"><jats:graphic xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" mimetype=\"image\/png\" position=\"anchor\" specific-use=\"enlarged-web-image\" xlink:href=\"graphic\/tjp70024-gra-0001-m.png\"><jats:alt-text>image<\/jats:alt-text><\/jats:graphic><\/jats:boxed-text><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Key points<\/jats:title><jats:p><jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Ventral tegmental area (VTA)\u2010projecting nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) neurons are distributed rostro\u2010caudally throughout the nucleus and express tyrosine hydroxylase and\/or glucagon\u2010like peptide\u20101 (GLP\u20101).<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>VTA\u2010projecting NTS neurons are higher order, receiving indirect, polysynaptic vagal afferent input.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<jats:list-item><jats:p>Most VTA\u2010projecting NTS neurons are inhibited by cholecystokinin.<\/jats:p><\/jats:list-item>\n<\/jats:list><\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1113\/jp288729","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]],"date-time":"2025-08-11T03:54:41Z","timestamp":1754884481000},"page":"4817-4843","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Characterization of NTS\u2010to\u2010VTA projection neurons reveals higher\u2010order synaptic organization and distinct responsiveness to cholecystokinin"],"prefix":"10.1113","volume":"603","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-0533-0441","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Caitlin R.","family":"Ritchey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary 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