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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Dec 20.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2017 Dec 20;96(6):1327–1341.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.037

Figure 8. Model of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in D1-MSNs during early abstinence from repeated cocaine.

Figure 8

In NAc D1-MSNs, repeated cocaine exposure increases Drp1 levels. Enhanced phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser616 leads to an abundance of smaller mitochondria, reflective of enhanced fission, in D1-MSN dendrites. The enhanced mitochondrial fission in D1-MSN dendrites is associated with increased c-Fos reactivity and increased excitatory synaptic function in this MSN subtype. These adaptations ultimately cause cocaine-induced behavioral responses, such as cocaine seeking.