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Dopaminergic Modulation of Spiny Neurons in the Turtle Striatum

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Abstract

Intracellular recordings were obtained from brain slice preparation in neurons of the striatum of the turtle Trachemys scripta elegans, analogous to the mammalian striatum in its topographic organization, synaptic connectivity, cytoarchitecture, and neurochemistry. Here we show that these similarities extend to the electrophysiological properties of its neurons. Biocytin staining revealed that 85% of the recorded neurons were medium spiny neurons while 15% were aspiny neurons. Spiny neurons of the turtle resembled those found in the mammalian and avian striatum and express dopaminergic D1 and D2 class receptors. Because the striatum of the turtle receives a dense dopaminergic innervation from tegmental dopaminergic neurons we investigated the postsynaptic actions of selective dopamine receptor agonists in the excitability of spiny neurons. As in mammals and birds, activation of D1-receptors enhances, whereas activation of D2-receptors decreases the evoked discharge. Apparently, actions of dopamine agonists occur via the modulation of L-type (CaV1) Ca2+-conductances. Strong cellular evidence suggests that the role of dopamine in the modulation of motor networks is preserved along vertebrate evolution.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Beatriz Rubio Morales and Felipe Correa Sanchez from the Herpetology Lab of FES-Iztacala-UNAM for animal care. We also thank JA Laville for technical support and advice. This study was supported by: DGAPA Grants (IN201507 to EG, IN201607 to J Bargas, IN204407 to J Barral), PAPCA-2009-2010-FES Iztacala grant (to J Barral), and CONACyT grant (49484 to J Bargas, 81518 to J Barral).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Neurociencias, FES-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Av. Los Barrios #1, Col. Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Mexico, DF, CP 54090, Mexico

    Jaime Barral

  2. Departamento de Biofísica, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico, DF, Mexico

    Elvira Galarraga, Dagoberto Tapia, Edén Flores-Barrera & José Bargas

  3. Escuela de Biología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico

    Arturo Reyes

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  1. Jaime Barral
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  2. Elvira Galarraga
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  3. Dagoberto Tapia
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  4. Edén Flores-Barrera
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  5. Arturo Reyes
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  6. José Bargas
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Correspondence to Jaime Barral.

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Barral, J., Galarraga, E., Tapia, D. et al. Dopaminergic Modulation of Spiny Neurons in the Turtle Striatum. Cell Mol Neurobiol 30, 743–750 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-010-9499-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-010-9499-7

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