Giuseppe Gangarossa

The claustrum encodes and scales appetitive feeding

This study identifies the claustrum's role in appetitive feeding by showing its neurons and circuitry reduce high-fat diet intake.

Central lipid sensing tunes accumbal D2R-neuron activity in appetitive behaviours

This study shows that triglycerides modulate D2R-neuron activity in the nucleus accumbens during appetitive behaviors, with effects dependent on metabolic state and diet.

Peripheral CB1R inhibition modulates food intake and metabolic efficiency in obesity independently of the gut-brain vagal axis

This study shows that peripheral CB1R inhibition reduces food intake and improves metabolism in obese mice through both vagal-dependent brainstem activation and vagal-independent hypothalamic effects.

The gut-brain vagal axis governs mesolimbic dopamine dynamics and reward events

This study investigates how the gut-brain vagal axis influences mesolimbic dopamine dynamics and reward behaviors, challenging the traditional brain-centric view of reward processing.

Midbrain dopamine D2R regulates the salience of threat-related events

This study investigates the role of dopamine D2 autoreceptors in regulating VTA dopamine neuron responses to aversive stimuli and finds they act as a regulatory brake with sex-biased effects on threat processing.

The gut-brain vagal axis scales hippocampal memory processes and plasticity

This study investigates the role of the gut-brain vagal axis in hippocampal memory processes and finds it essential for long-term recognition memories and synaptic plasticity.

NAPE-PLD in the ventral tegmental area regulates reward events, feeding and energy homeostasis

This paper investigates the role of NAPE-PLD in the ventral tegmental area, showing its impact on reward behaviors, feeding, and energy homeostasis through transcriptomic analysis and genetic manipulations.

The addiction-susceptibility TaqIA/Ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 kinase (ANKK1) controls reward and metabolism through dopamine receptor type 2 (DR2)-expressing neurons

This study identifies ANKK1's role in striatal DR2-expressing neurons, linking it to reward, metabolism, and behaviors associated with the A1 allele of TaqIA.

Haloperidol-induced immediate early genes in striatopallidal neurons requires the converging action of cAMP/PKA/DARPP-32 and mTOR pathways

The paper investigates how haloperidol induces immediate early genes in striatopallidal neurons through the combined action of cAMP/PKA/DARPP-32 and mTOR pathways.

Hindbrain catecholaminergic inputs to the paraventricular thalamus scale feeding and metabolic efficiency in stress-related contexts

Identification of an endocannabinoid gut-brain vagal mechanism controlling food reward and energy homeostasis

This study identifies a gut-brain vagal mechanism involving endocannabinoids that regulates food reward and energy homeostasis, showing that peripheral CB1 receptor inhibition reduces palatable eating.

Acute changes in systemic glycaemia gate access and action of GLP-1R agonist on brain structures controlling energy homeostasis

This study shows that acute changes in blood glucose levels affect the entry and action of GLP-1R agonists in the brain, influencing energy homeostasis and weight loss.

Contrasting patterns of ERK activation in the tail of the striatum in response to aversive and rewarding signals

The paper investigates ERK activation in the tail of the striatum (TS) in response to various stimuli, finding that D1R-SPNs in specific subterritories are activated by psychostimulants but not hallucinogens.

BDNF controls bidirectional endocannabinoid-plasticity at corticostriatal synapses

This study shows BDNF/TrkB signaling promotes endocannabinoid-mediated plasticity (LTD and LTP) in striatum through calcium-dependent eCB synthesis and release.

Opto-activation of cortical somatostatin interneurons alleviates parkinsonian symptoms

The paper shows opto-activation of cortical somatostatin interneurons alleviates motor symptoms in a Parkinson's mouse model.