QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (57) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rios, M. Articles by Roffler-Tarlov, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rios, M. Articles by Roffler-Tarlov, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, May 1, 1999, 19(9):3519-3526

Catecholamine Synthesis is Mediated by Tyrosinase in the Absence of Tyrosine Hydroxylase

Maribel Rios¹, Beth Habecker², Toshikuni Sasaoka³, Graeme Eisenhofer², Hua Tian², Story Landis², Dona Chikaraishi⁴, and Suzanne Roffler-Tarlov¹

¹ Departments of Neuroscience and Anatomy and Cell Biology, Tufts University Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, ² National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, ³ National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo 187, Japan, and ⁴ Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710

Catecholamine neurotransmitters are synthesized by hydroxylation of tyrosine to L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-Dopa) by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The elimination of TH in both pigmented and albino mice described here, like pigmented TH-null mice reported previously (Kobayashi et al., 1995; Zhou et al., 1995), demonstrates the unequivocal requirement for catecholamines during embryonic development. Although the lack of TH is fatal, TH-null embryos can be rescued by administration of catecholamine precursors to pregnant dams. Once born, TH-null pups can survive without further treatment until weaning. Given the relatively rapid half-life of catecholamines, we expected to find none in postnatal TH-null pups. Despite the fact that the TH-null pups lack TH and have not been supplemented with catecholamine precursers, catecholamines are readily detected in our pigmented line of TH-null mice by glyoxylic acid-induced histofluorescence at postnatal day 7 (P7) and P15 and quantitatively at P15 in sympathetically innervated peripheral organs, in sympathetic ganglia, in adrenal glands, and in brains. Between 2 and 22% of wild-type catecholamine concentrations are found in these tissues in mutant pigmented mice. To ascertain the source of the catecholamine, we examined postnatal TH-null albino mice that lack tyrosinase, another enzyme that converts tyrosine to L-Dopa but does so during melanin synthesis. In contrast to the pigmented TH-null mice, catecholamine histofluorescence is undetectable in postnatal albino mutants, and the catecholamine content of TH-null pups lacking tyrosinase is 18% or less than that of TH-null mice with tyrosinase. Thus, these extraordinary circumstances reveal that tyrosinase serves as an alternative pathway to supply catecholamines.

Key words: catecholamines; tyrosine hydroxylase-null mutation; tyrosinase; tyrosine hydroxylase; tyrosinase and catecholamine synthesis; catecholamines in development; catecholamine synthesis

---

Copyright © 1999 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/99/1993519-08$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Ream, R. Chandra, M. Peavey, A. M. Ray, S. Roffler-Tarlov, H.-G. Kim, W. C. Wetsel, H. A. Rockman, and D. M. Chikaraishi High oxygen prevents fetal lethality due to lack of catecholamines Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2008; 295(3): R942 - R953. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. Zeiss Neuroanatomical Phenotyping in the Mouse: The Dopaminergic System Vet. Pathol., November 1, 2005; 42(6): 753 - 773. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. S. Bamford, S. Robinson, R. D. Palmiter, J. A. Joyce, C. Moore, and C. K. Meshul Dopamine Modulates Release from Corticostriatal Terminals J. Neurosci., October 27, 2004; 24(43): 9541 - 9552. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Slominski, D. J. Tobin, S. Shibahara, and J. Wortsman Melanin Pigmentation in Mammalian Skin and Its Hormonal Regulation Physiol Rev, October 1, 2004; 84(4): 1155 - 1228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Cannon and R. D. Palmiter Reward without Dopamine J. Neurosci., November 26, 2003; 23(34): 10827 - 10831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. EISENHOFER, H. TIAN, C. HOLMES, J. MATSUNAGA, S. ROFFLER-TARLOV, and V. J. HEARING Tyrosinase: a developmentally specific major determinant of peripheral dopamine FASEB J, July 1, 2003; 17(10): 1248 - 1255. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Portbury, R. Chandra, M. Groelle, M. K. McMillian, A. Elias, J. R. Herlong, M. Rios, S. Roffler-Tarlov, and D. M. Chikaraishi Catecholamines act via a beta -adrenergic receptor to maintain fetal heart rate and survival Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2003; 284(6): H2069 - H2077. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Ohtani, T. Goto, C. Waeber, and P. G. Bhide Dopamine Modulates Cell Cycle in the Lateral Ganglionic Eminence J. Neurosci., April 1, 2003; 23(7): 2840 - 2850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Paladini, S. Robinson, H. Morikawa, J. T. Williams, and R. D. Palmiter Dopamine controls the firing pattern of dopamine neurons via a network feedback mechanism PNAS, March 4, 2003; 100(5): 2866 - 2871. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. P. Carson and D. Robertson Genetic Manipulation of Noradrenergic Neurons J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., May 1, 2002; 301(2): 410 - 417. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. Bornstein, H. Tian, A. Haidan, A. Bottner, N. Hiroi, G. Eisenhofer, S. M. McCann, G. P. Chrousos, and S. Roffler-Tarlov Deletion of tyrosine hydroxylase gene reveals functional interdependence of adrenocortical and chromaffin cell system in vivo PNAS, December 19, 2000; 97(26): 14742 - 14747. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Tian, B. Habecker, G. Guidry, A. Gurtan, M. Rios, S. Roffler-Tarlov, and S. C. Landis Catecholamines Are Required for the Acquisition of Secretory Responsiveness by Sweat Glands J. Neurosci., October 1, 2000; 20(19): 7362 - 7369. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Kobayashi, Y. Noda, N. Matsushita, K. Nishii, H. Sawada, T. Nagatsu, D. Nakahara, R. Fukabori, Y. Yasoshima, T. Yamamoto, et al. Modest Neuropsychological Deficits Caused by Reduced Noradrenaline Metabolism in Mice Heterozygous for a Mutated Tyrosine Hydroxylase Gene J. Neurosci., March 15, 2000; 20(6): 2418 - 2426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help