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

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, July 2, 2003, 23(13):5693-5697

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 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 Web of Science (15) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davila, V. Articles by Sulzer, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Davila, V. Articles by Sulzer, D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

BRIEF COMMUNICATION
D₃ Dopamine Autoreceptors Do Not Activate G-Protein-Gated Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Currents in Substantia Nigra Dopamine Neurons

Viviana Davila,¹ Zhen Yan,⁴ Liviu C. Craciun,⁵ Diomedes Logothetis,⁵ and David Sulzer^1,2,3

Departments of ¹Neurology and ²Psychiatry, Columbia University, and ³Department of Neuroscience, New York Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032,⁴Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14214, and ⁵Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029

Substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons express D₂ and D₃ dopamine autoreceptors. A physiological role for the D₃ receptor has not been identified, but an activation of G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK; also known as Kir3) channels is strongly implicated because D₃ receptors activate channels composed of GIRK2 subunits in cell lines. We confirmed that acutely dissociated SN dopamine neurons indeed contain D₃ and GIRK2 subunit mRNA using single-cell RT-PCR. We then tested whether D₃ receptors activate GIRK currents in SN dopamine neurons by comparing acutely dissociated neurons from D₂–/– receptor knock-out and congenic wild-type mice. In nearly all (14 of 15) wild-type SN dopamine neurons, the D₂/D₃ agonist quinpirole activated GIRK currents that were blocked by cesium. Quinpirole, however, elicited no GIRK currents in any SN dopamine neuron (0 of 13) derived from D₂–/– receptor knock-out mice. The absence of quinpirole response was not caused by a lack of GIRK activity, because the GABA_B receptor agonist baclofen continued to elicit these currents in the mutant neurons. Thus, it appears that D₃ activation of GIRK currents in SN neurons does not occur or is exceedingly rare.

Key words: GABA; inwardly rectifying potassium channel; Kir3; single-cell RT-PCR; weaver mouse mutation; ventral tegmental area

---

Received Feb. 12, 2003; revised Apr. 16, 2003; accepted Apr. 16, 2003.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Vandecasteele, J. Glowinski, J.-M. Deniau, and L. Venance Chemical transmission between dopaminergic neuron pairs PNAS, March 25, 2008; 105(12): 4904 - 4909. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Beckstead and J. T. Williams Long-Term Depression of a Dopamine IPSC J. Neurosci., February 21, 2007; 27(8): 2074 - 2080. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Guatteo, C. P. Bengtson, G. Bernardi, and N. B. Mercuri Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels Mediate Intracellular Calcium Increase in Weaver Dopaminergic Neurons During Stimulation of D2 and GABAB Receptors J Neurophysiol, December 1, 2004; 92(6): 3368 - 3374. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help