Dopamine receptor gene expression by enkephalin neurons in rat forebrain

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.1.230· OSTI ID:7168383

Le Moine, C; Normand, E; Guitteny, A F; Fouque, B; Teoule, R; Bloch, B ^[1]

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1. Universite de Bordeaux II (France)

In situ hybridization experiments were performed with brain sections from normal, control and haloperidol-treated rats to identify and map the cells expressing the D2 dopamine receptor gene. D2 receptor mRNA was detected with radioactive or biotinylated oligonucleotide probes. D2 receptor mRNA was present in glandular cells of the pituitary intermediate lobe and in neurons of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and forebrain, especially in caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, and piriform cortex. Hybridization with D2 and preproenkephalin A probes in adjacent sections, as well as combined hybridization with the two probes in the same sections, demonstrated that all detectable enkephalin neurons in the striatum contained the D2 receptor mRNA. Large neurons in caudate putamen, which were unlabeled with the preproenkephalin A probe and which may have been cholinergic, also expressed the D2 receptor gene. Haloperidol treatment (14 or 21 days) provoked an increase in mRNA content for D2 receptor and preproenkephalin A in the striatum. This suggests that the increase in D2 receptor number observed after haloperidol treatment is due to increased activity of the D2 gene. These results indicate that in the striatum, the enkephalin neurons are direct targets for dopamine liberated from mesostriatal neurons.

• OSTI ID: 7168383
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA) Vol. 87:1; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINES
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BODY
BRAIN
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
DOPAMINE
DRUGS
ENDORPHINS
ENKEPHALINS
GENE REGULATION
GENES
HYBRIDIZATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
MESSENGER-RNA
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NERVES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NEUROREGULATORS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
OLIGONUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDES
PHENOLS
POLYPEPTIDES
POLYPHENOLS
PROTEINS
PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS
RATS
RECEPTORS
RNA
RODENTS
SULFUR ISOTOPES
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
TRANSCRIPTION
VERTEBRATES