Expression of muscarinic acetylcholine and dopamine receptor mRNAs in rat basal ganglia

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.18.7050· OSTI ID:5464343

Weiner, D M ^[1]; Levey, A I ^[2]; Brann, M R ^[3]

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1. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD (USA) Howard Hughes Medical Inst., Bethesda, MD (USA)
2. National Inst. of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD (USA) Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (USA)
3. National Inst. of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD (USA)

Within the basal ganglia, acetylcholine and dopamine play a central role in the extrapyramidal control of motor function. The physiologic effects of these neurotransmitters are mediated by a diversity of receptor subtypes, several of which have now been cloned. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are encoded by five genes (m1-m5), and of the two known dopamine receptor subtypes (D1 and D2) the D2 receptor gene has been characterized. To gain insight into the physiological roles of each of these receptor subtypes, the authors prepared oligodeoxynucleotide probes to localize receptor subtype mRNAs within the rat striatum and substantia nigra by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Within the striatum, three muscarinic (m1, m2, m4) receptor mRNAs and the D2 receptor mRNA were detected. The m1 mRNA was expressed in most neurons; the m2 mRNA, in neurons which were both very large and rare; and the m4 and D2 mRNAs, in 40-50% of the neurons, one-third of which express both mRNAs. Within the substantia nigra, pars compacta, only the m5 and D2 mRNAs were detected, and most neurons expressed both mRNAs. These data provide anatomical evidence for the identity of the receptor subtypes which mediate the diverse effects of muscarinic and dopaminergic drugs on basal ganglia function.

• OSTI ID: 5464343
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States), Vol. 87:18; ISSN 0027-8424
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETYLCHOLINE
RECEPTORS
BRAIN
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
DOPAMINE
GANGLIONS
PHYSIOLOGY
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
MESSENGER-RNA
NEUROREGULATORS
OLIGONUCLEOTIDES
RATS
SULFUR 35
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DRUGS
ESTERS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HYBRIDIZATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAMMALS
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
PROTEINS
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RNA
RODENTS
SULFUR ISOTOPES
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
VERTEBRATES
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques