*This seminar is being held virtually and requires MIT credentials to join. To attend please use this link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/93017714383*

Special Seminar with Changliang Liu, PhD

Axonal control of dopamine signaling

Despite the well-recognized importance of the dopamine system in a range of brain functions, the biophysical nature of dopamine transmission remains elusive. Here, I will discuss how dopamine release is organized and regulated in axons and how these features shape our current theory of dopamine signaling. I will first show that the dopamine system is endowed with a micro-scale architecture for transmission, where dopamine release only happens at sparsely distributed hot spots in axons with extremely high speed and efficiency. I will then demonstrate that the activity of striatal cholinergic interneurons drives action potential firing in distal dopamine axons to magnify and broadcast dopamine signaling. This mechanism bypasses Cajal’s law of dynamic polarization (dendrites-soma-axon information flow), serves as a physiological regulation for striatal functions, and contributes to behavior. These findings will build the foundation for understanding the nature of dopamine signaling and ultimately power the development of new therapeutic strategies for related disorders.