The hyperactivity of the ventral subiculum (vSUB) – nucleus accumbens (NAc) circuit has been implicated as a major cause of dopamine dysregulation that is associated with drug addiction and schizophrenia. The vSUB is populated by two distinct glutamatergic principle neurons, termed burst- and regular-spiking, that synapse onto two main populations of postsynaptic  medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc, identified by their expression of dopamine type 1 receptor or dopamine type 2 receptor (D1R and D2R MSNs, respectively). Our enthusiasm to perform a molecular dissection of this circuit, initially in the context of Nrxn3, is bolstered by the recent findings that, the vSUB provides the most robust excitatory input into relative to other brain regions, which implies that synaptic dysfunction in this projection pathway can result in significant alterations in dopamine levels in the brain. Moreover, our recent preliminary data, using viral tracing approach to identify functional connectivity between the vSUB and NAc and electrophysiology in Nrxn3 mutant mice, revealed that 1. Functional synapses made by vSUB output in the NAc are almost exclusively found in the medial shell (Fig. 2) and that, following the genetic manipulation of Nrxn3, excitatory transmission in the medial shell is significantly altered (data not shown). These findings suggest that vSUB input into the NAc might play a significant role in regulating dopamine levels via the reward circuitry. Yet, despite the mounting evidence implicating the significance of vSUB in dopamine dysregulation, little is known regarding the distribution of RS and BS connectivity with D1R and D2R MSNs, the cell-type specific synaptic properties and the functional role of presynaptic Nrxn3 in presynaptic RS and BS neurons. We are investigating how Nrxn3 shapes cell-type and synapse-specific connectivity and function in this projection circuit.