From the lab of Naoshige Uchida, Mitsuko Watabe-Uchida. First author Ryunosuke Amo. Featured in MCB News.

The Uchida lab used a genetically encoded glutamate sensor to examine the pattern of glutamate inputs to dopamine neurons in mice. Combining the results with existing knowledge about GABA signaling to these neurons, they gained a new understanding of how these two neurotransmitters collaborate to bring dopamine neurons the information they need to encode reward prediction error (RPE)—the difference between expected and received rewards.