D1 and D2 systems converge in the striatum to update goal-directed learning

Abstract

Extinction learning allows animals to withhold voluntary actions that are no longer related to reward and so provides a major source of behavioral control. Although such learning is thought to depend on dopamine signals in the striatum, the way the circuits mediating goal-directed control are reorganized during new learning remains unknown. Here, by mapping a dopamine-dependent transcriptional activation marker in large ensembles of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) expressing dopamine receptor type 1 (D1-SPNs) or 2 (D2-SPNs) in mice, we demonstrate an extensive and dynamic D2- to D1-SPN trans-modulation across the dorsal striatum that is necessary for updating previous goal-directed learning. Our findings suggest that D2-SPNs suppress the influence of outdated D1-SPN plasticity within functionally relevant striatal territories to reshape volitional action.