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Unaltered D1, D2, D4, and D5 dopamine receptor mRNA expression and distribution in the spinal cord of the D3 receptor knockout mouse

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Abstract

Dopamine (DA) acts through five receptor subtypes (D1–D5). We compared expression levels and distribution patterns of all DA mRNA receptors in the spinal cord of wild-type (WT) and loss of function D3 receptor knockout (D3KO) animals. D3 mRNA expression was increased in D3KO, but no D3 receptor protein was associated with cell membranes, supporting the previously reported lack of function. In contrast, mRNA expression levels and distribution patterns of D1, D2, D4, and D5 receptors were similar between WT and D3KO animals. We conclude that D3KO spinal neurons do not compensate for the loss of function of the D3 receptor with changes in the other DA receptor subtypes. This supports use of D3KO animals as a model to provide insight into D3 receptor dysfunction in the spinal cord.

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Abbreviations

D3KO:

D3 receptor knockout

DA:

Dopamine

GAPDH:

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

ISH:

In situ hybridization

PBST:

PBS containing 0.3% Triton X-100

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

WT:

Wild-type

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was awarded from the National Institutes of Health, NINDS, Grant NS045248. All experimental procedures complied with the “Principles of animal care,” publication No. 86-23, revised 1985 by the NIH, and the Emory Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. We thank Dr Dapeng Cui for assistance with real-time PCR.

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  1. Stefan Clemens

    Present address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Hong Zhu, Stefan Clemens, Michael Sawchuk & Shawn Hochman

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  1. Hong Zhu
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  2. Stefan Clemens
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Correspondence to Shawn Hochman.

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Zhu, H., Clemens, S., Sawchuk, M. et al. Unaltered D1, D2, D4, and D5 dopamine receptor mRNA expression and distribution in the spinal cord of the D3 receptor knockout mouse. J Comp Physiol A 194, 957–962 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0368-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0368-5

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