Subthreshold repertoire and threshold dynamics of midbrain dopamine neuron firing in vivo

The firing pattern of ventral midbrain dopamine neurons is controlled by afferent and intrinsic activity to generate prediction error signals that are essential for reward-based learning. Given the absence of intracellular recordings in the last three decades, the subthreshold membrane potential events that cause changes in dopamine neuron firing patterns remain unknown. By establishing stable whole-cell recordings of >100 spontaneously active midbrain dopamine neurons in anaesthetized mice, we identified the repertoire of subthreshold membrane potential signatures associated with distinct firing patterns. We demonstrate that dopamine neuron activity deviates from a single spike pacemaker pattern by eliciting transient increases in firing rate generated by at least two diametrically opposing biophysical mechanisms: a transient depolarization resulting in high frequency plateau bursts associated with a reactive, depolarizing shift in action potential threshold; and a prolonged hyperpolarization preceding slower rebound bursts characterized by a predictive, hyperpolarizing shift in action potential threshold. Our findings therefore illustrate a framework for the biophysical implementation of prediction error and sensory cue coding in dopamine neurons by tuning action potential threshold dynamics.