Extended Data Fig. 10. Activation of MeA Tac1⁻/Vgat⁺ neurons promotes aggression.

a–b, Schematic of an intersectional approach for specific expression of ChR2 in Tac1⁻/Vgat⁺ neurons in the MeA using a Cre-off and Flp-on AAV. c, Example images showing that EYFP⁺ cells are predominantly Vgat⁺ (99.3 ± 1.4%, mean ± s.e.m.) and Tac1⁻ (90.1 ± 1.9%, mean ± s.e.m.) in Tac1^Cre/+/Vgat^Flp/+ animals injected with the Coff/Fon-EYFP AAV (n = 4 hemispheres independently injected with the virus from 2 mice (4-5 sections per hemisphere). Scale bar, 25 μm. d, e, Probability of aggression (d) and allogrooming (e) toward stressed partners (fraction of trials showing a particular behavior at different time points) with respect to stimulation onset in ChR2 animals. Blue areas: duration of light illumination; time 0: stimulation onset. f, Duration of aggression and allogrooming toward stressed partners during photostimulations. Boxplots: median with quartiles, 1.5 × IQR and outliers. d–f, n = 83 and 80 trials in 4 male mice for aggression and allogrooming, respectively.