Superior Colliculus to VTA pathway controls orienting response to conspecific stimuli

Social behaviours characterize cooperative, mutualistic aggressive or parental interactions that occurs among conspecifics. Although several neuronal substrates of social behaviour have been identified, whether defined circuits are dedicated to specific aspect of conspecific interaction is still an open question. Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) contributes to the rewarding properties of conspecific interaction. However, how information related to conspecifics are conveyed to the VTA is still largely unknown. In this study, we identified a population of Superior Colliculus (SC) neurons projecting to the VTA which increase their activity before conspecific interaction and control orienting response towards unfamiliar conspecifics. Finally, we show that SC inputs target a subpopulation of Dopamine (DA) neurons within the VTA that in turn project to dorsolateral striatum (DLS). Our work supports the hypothesis that specialized sub-circuits are dedicated to process different aspect of social interaction.