Cerebellar dopamine D2 receptors regulate preference for social novelty

Summary The cerebellum, a primary center involved in the control of sensorimotor tasks, also contributes to higher cognitive functions including reward, emotion and social interaction. The regulation of these behaviors has been largely ascribed to the monoaminergic system in limbic regions. However, the contribution of cerebellar dopamine signaling in the modulation of these functions remains largely unknown due to the lack of precise characterization of cerebellar dopaminoceptive neurons. By combining cell type-specific transcriptomic and histological analyses, 3D imaging and electrophysiology we demonstrate that cerebellar dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) in mice are preferentially expressed in Purkinje cells (PCs). While activation of D2R regulate synaptic efficacy onto PCs, their deletion or overexpression in PCs bidirectionally controls preference for social novelty without affecting motor functions. Altogether, these findings demonstrate novel D2R’s roles in PC function and causally link cerebellar D2R levels of expression to social behaviors.