A complex program of striatal gene expression
induced by dopaminergic stimulation
by
Berke JD, Paletzki RF, Aronson GJ, Hyman SE, Gerfen CR
Molecular Plasticity Section,
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,
Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
J Neurosci 1998 Jul 15; 18(14): 5301-10

ABSTRACT

Dopamine acting in the striatum is necessary for normal movement and motivation. Drugs that change striatal dopamine neurotransmission can have long-term effects on striatal physiology and behavior; these effects are thought to involve alterations in gene expression. Using the 6-hydroxydopamine lesion model of Parkinson's disease and differential display PCR, we have identified a set of more than 30 genes whose expression rapidly increases in response to stimulation of striatal dopamine D1 receptors. The induced mRNAs include both novel and previously described genes, with diverse time courses of expression. Some genes are expressed at near-maximal levels within 30 min, whereas others show no substantial induction until 2 hr or more after stimulation. Some of the induced genes, such as CREM, CHOP, and MAP kinase phosphatase-1, may be components of a homeostatic response to excessive stimulation. Others may be part of a genetic program involved in cellular and synaptic plasticity. A very similar set of genes is induced in unlesioned animals by administration of the psychostimulant cocaine or the antipsychotic eticlopride, although in distinct striatal cell populations. In contrast to some previously described early genes, most of the novel genes are not induced in cortex by apomorphine, indicating specificity of induction. Thus we have identified novel components of a complex, coordinated genetic program that is induced in striatal cells in response to various dopaminergic manipulations.

D4
D3
D2
NMDA
D1+D2
Reward
Selegiline
Roxindole
Dopamine
Amineptine
Pramipexole
Bromocriptine
Methylphenidate
Drugs and reward
The pleasure and the pain
Depression, dopamine and dextroamphetamine
Mesolimbic medium spiny neurons and pleasure
Regulation of synapses in the nucleus accumbens
The nucleus accumbens: opioids versus cannabinoids

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family