Extended Data Fig. 8: Downstream projections of pre-LC^PDYN neurons.

a, PDYN–Cre mice were injected with AAV-DIO-ChR2-mCherry into the pre-LC. Representative axonal projections are shown (one out of six mice). ARC, arcuate nucleus; DMH, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus; LH, lateral hypothalamus; PVT, paraventricular thalamic nucleus; vBNST, ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; VTA, ventral tegmental area. Scale bars, 50 μm. b, A wiring diagram of upstream and downstream neural connections of pre-LC^PDYN neurons. It is feasible that the ventral tegmental area and lateral hypothalamus process the reward aspect of sodium appetite^45,46, whereas the BNST and paraventricular thalamic nucleus may regulate preference and valence towards sodium^47,48. Besides the hindbrain, the BNST also receives interoceptive information from subfornical neurons that express angiotensin receptor (SFO^Agtr1a)¹⁵.