Ventral hippocampus neurons encode meal-related memory

Léa Décarie-Spain, Cindy Gu, Logan Tierno Lauer, Keshav S. Subramanian, Samar N. Chehimi, Alicia E. Kao, Serena X. Gao, Iris Deng, Alexander G. Bashaw, Molly E. Klug, Jessica J. Rea, Alice I. Waldow, Ashyah Hewage Galbokke, Olivia Moody, Kristen N. Donohue, Mingxin Yang, Guillaume Lartigue, Kevin P. Myers, Richard C. Crist, Benjamin C. Reiner, Matthew R. Hayes and Scott E. Kanoski ()
Additional contact information
Léa Décarie-Spain: University of Southern California
Cindy Gu: University of Southern California
Logan Tierno Lauer: University of Southern California
Keshav S. Subramanian: University of Southern California
Samar N. Chehimi: University of Pennsylvania
Alicia E. Kao: University of Southern California
Serena X. Gao: University of Southern California
Iris Deng: University of Southern California
Alexander G. Bashaw: University of Southern California
Molly E. Klug: University of Southern California
Jessica J. Rea: University of Southern California
Alice I. Waldow: University of Southern California
Ashyah Hewage Galbokke: University of Southern California
Olivia Moody: University of Southern California
Kristen N. Donohue: University of Southern California
Mingxin Yang: Monell Chemical Senses Center
Guillaume Lartigue: Monell Chemical Senses Center
Kevin P. Myers: Bucknell University Lewisburg
Richard C. Crist: University of Pennsylvania
Benjamin C. Reiner: University of Pennsylvania
Matthew R. Hayes: University of Pennsylvania
Scott E. Kanoski: University of Southern California

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract The ability to encode and retrieve meal-related information is critical to efficiently guide energy acquisition and consumption, yet the underlying neural processes remain elusive. Here we reveal that ventral hippocampus (HPCv) neuronal activity dynamically elevates between eating bouts during meal consumption and this response is predictive of performance in a foraging-related memory test for the spatial location of a previously consumed meal. Targeted recombination-mediated ablation of HPCv meal-responsive neurons impairs meal location memory without influencing food motivation or spatial memory for escape location. These HPCv meal-responsive neurons project to the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and are enriched in serotonin 2a receptors (5HT2aR). Either chemogenetic silencing of HPCv-to-LHA projections or intra-HPCv 5HT2aR antagonist yielded meal location memory deficits, as well as increased caloric intake driven by shorter temporal intervals between meals. Collective results identify a population of HPCv neurons in male rats that dynamically respond during eating to encode meal-related memories.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59687-1

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