The glutamatergic projection from the substantia nigra pars reticulata to the dorsal raphe nucleus facilitates social hierarchy in mice

Social hierarchy constitutes a fundamental organizational characteristic among various social species, significantly influencing individual survival, health, and reproductive success within these societies. Neurons in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) exhibit extensive connectivity with the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), a critical structure implicated in social interaction, reward processing, and the establishment of social rank. However, the specific neuronal types within the SNr, as well as the associated neural circuits that regulate social dominance, remain inadequately characterized. This study aims to elucidate the crucial role of SNrGlu neurons in the establishment and maintenance of social hierarchy in mice. Employing fiber photometry, we observed that the activation of SNrGlu neurons increased during the initiation of effortful behaviors in the tube test. Further investigations revealed that optogenetic activation or chemogenetic inhibition of the glutamatergic neural ci..., , # The Glutamatergic Projection from the Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata to the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Facilitates Social Hierarchy in Mice

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.m0cfxppg3](10.5061/dryad.m0cfxppg3)

## Description of the data and file structure

We have submitted our raw data, which consists of 28 files. The dataset includes behavioral parameters from the tube test, rank changes observed in the tube test, outcomes from the warm spot test, results from the open field test, forelimb grip strength measurements, data from the elevated plus maze test, results from the resident-intruder test, and results from the social memory test.

### Files and variables

#### File: p1\_behaviours\_for\_Chemogenetics\_hM4Di\_EYFP\_CNO\_3.5h.csv

**Description:** Behavioral parameters of EYFP mice and hM4Di-EGFP in the tube test under chemogenetic inhibition at 3.5 hours post-CNO injection.

##### Variables

* *Group*: The present study involved two distinct groups: Group 1 refers to the EYFP mice, whi...,