Supplementary Figure 6: CeA^Htr2a-neuron activity promotes place preference while silencing is not intrinsically aversive.

a, Representative locomotor traces of CeA^Htr2a::ChR2 mice in a RTPP experiment (representative of 7 mice). b, CeA^Htr2a::ChR2 mice spend significantly more time on the side of the RTPP chamber paired with photostimulation (n = 6 eYFP mice, n= 7 ChR2 mice, 10 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₁₁₎ = 2.50, P = 0.0293); 5 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₁₁₎ = 2.66, P = 0.0224). c,d, The distance travelled by CeA^Htr2a::ChR2 mice (c; n = 5 mice per group, 20 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₈₎ = 1.72, P = 0.1243. 10 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₈₎ = 0.23, P = 0.8257. 5 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₈₎ = 1.42, P = 0.1933) and velocity (d; n = 5 mice per group, 20 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₈₎ = 0.77, P = 0.4660. 10 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₈₎ = 1.25, P = 0.2451. 5 Hz, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₈₎ = 0.51, P = 0.6218) in the stimulated side of the RTPP chamber was comparable to controls. e, Photoinhibition of CeA^Htr2a neurons in food restricted mice did not affect licking of a spout that delivered a palatable reward (n = 7 mCherry mice, n = 8 NpHR mice, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₁₃₎ = 1.89, P = 0.8531). f, Scheme depicting RTPP paradigm where CeA^Htr2a::NpHR mice were tested. g, Representative locomotor trace of a CeA^Htr2a::NpHR mouse during the RTPP experiment (representative of 7 mice). h, CeA^Htr2a::NpHR mice did not show any preference for one side of the RTPP chamber (n = 7 mice per group, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₁₂₎ = 0.05, P = 0.9618). i,j, The distance travelled by CeA^Htr2a::NpHR mice (i; n = 7 mice per group, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₁₂₎ = 1.40, P = 0.1872) and velocity (j; n = 7 mice per group, two-tailed unpaired t test: t₍₁₂₎ = 0.78, P = 0.4504) in the stimulated side of the RTPP chamber was comparable to controls.

Box–whisker plots display median, interquartile range and fifth to ninety-fifth percentiles of the distribution. * P < 0.05.