Fig. 2: Short optogenetic activation of dmPFC PVIs promotes subsequent social approach.
a Timeline showing injections of Cre-dependent Channelrhodopsin (ChR2) in PV-Cre mice and subsequent social behavior in adult mice. Light order was counterbalanced. b Representative viral transduction (ChR2-mCherry) and LED location. Scale bar = 500 µm. c Representative in vivo spike activity of ChR2-expressing dmPFC-PVIs upon 40 Hz stimulation (top), and averaged spike following 40 Hz stimulation showing characteristic narrow spike shape (bottom). d Three seconds of light were randomly triggered at least 8 s apart over the course of a 5 min reciprocal interaction trial with an unfamiliar age-, sex-, and strain-matched mouse. Behavior was measured for 8 s following initiation of the light pulse (left). Duration of active behavior per pulse was increased in ‘on’ compared with ‘off’ conditions, while orienting to the stimulus and passive behavior were not changed (middle, linear mixed model effect of light, p = 0.04, planned post hoc tests: active on vs off, *p = 0.01, orient on vs. off p = 0.40, passive on vs. off p = 0.30, n = 9 mice). By animal statistics reveal a significant increase in duration of nose-to-nose investigation and Approach (right, paired t tests, nose-to-nose: t = 3.14, df = 8, *p = 0.01, Approach: t = 2.25, df = 8, p = 0.05, n = 9 mice). e Using the same stimulation protocol as in (d), velocity was measured in the 8 s following light-stimulation initiation. There were no changes in velocity (paired t test, t = 1.88, df = 8, p = 0.10, n = 9 mice). f Three seconds of light stimulation were triggered when the mouse was in the center chamber, and subsequent entries into either the social chamber, the object chamber, or neither were measured in the 8 s following light initiation (top) in a 3-chamber. Bottom: social entries (left) but not object entries (right) increase following 3 s 40 Hz light stimulation in the 3-chamber test (paired t test, Social: t = 2.54, df = 10, *p = 0.03 Object: t = 0.14, df = 9, p = 0.89, n = 11 mice). Error bars reflect + /− SEM. See related Supplementary Figs. 3 and 4. Source data are available as a Source Data file.
