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- Papathanou, Maria, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Off-Target Effects in Transgenic Mice : Characterization of Dopamine Transporter (DAT)-Cre Transgenic Mouse Lines Exposes Multiple Non-Dopaminergic Neuronal Clusters Available for Selective Targeting within Limbic Neurocircuitry
- 2019
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Ingår i: eNeuro. - 2373-2822. ; 6:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transgenic mouse lines are instrumental in our attempt to understand brain function. Promoters driving transgenic expression of the gene encoding Cre recombinase are crucial to ensure selectivity in Cre-mediated targeting of floxed alleles using the Cre-Lox system. For the study of dopamine (DA) neurons, promoter sequences driving expression of the Dopamine transporter (Dat) gene are often implemented and several DAT-Cre transgenic mouse lines have been found to faithfully direct Cre activity to DA neurons. While evaluating an established DAT-Cre mouse line, reporter gene expression was unexpectedly identified in cell somas within the amygdala. To indiscriminately explore Cre activity in DAT-Cre transgenic lines, systematic whole-brain analysis of two DAT-Cre mouse lines was performed upon recombination with different types of floxed reporter alleles. Results were compared with data available from the Allen Institute for Brain Science. The results identified restricted DAT-Cre-driven reporter gene expression in cell clusters within several limbic areas, including amygdaloid and mammillary subnuclei, septum and habenula, areas classically associated with glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. While no Dat gene expression was detected, ample co-localization between DAT-Cre-driven reporter and markers for glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons was found. Upon viral injection of a fluorescent reporter into the amygdala and habenula, distinct projections from non-dopaminergic DAT-Cre neurons could be distinguished. The study demonstrates that DAT-Cre transgenic mice, beyond their usefulness in recombination of floxed alleles in DA neurons, could be implemented as tools to achieve selective targeting in restricted excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations within the limbic neurocircuitry.
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| 2. |
- Papathanou, Maria, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Targeting VGLUT2 in Mature Dopamine Neurons Decreases Mesoaccumbal Glutamatergic Transmission and Identifies a Role for Glutamate Co-release in Synaptic Plasticity by Increasing Baseline AMPA/NMDA Ratio
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Neural Circuits. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1662-5110. ; 12, s. 1-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Expression of the Vglut2/Slc17a6 gene encoding the Vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) in midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons enables these neurons to co-release glutamate in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a feature of putative importance to drug addiction. For example, it has been shown that conditional deletion of Vglut2 gene expression within developing DA neurons in mice causes altered locomotor sensitization to addictive drugs, such as amphetamine and cocaine, in adulthood. Alterations in DA neurotransmission in the mesoaccumbal pathway has been proposed to contribute to these behavioral alterations but the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely elusive. Repeated exposure to cocaine is known to cause lasting adaptations of excitatory synaptic transmission onto medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc, but the putative contribution of VGLUT2-mediated glutamate co-release from the mesoaccumbal projection has never been investigated. In this study, we implemented a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-LoxP strategy to selectively probe VGLUT2 in mature DA neurons of adult mice. Optogenetics-coupled patch clamp analysis in the NAc demonstrated a significant reduction of glutamatergic neurotransmission, whilst behavioral analysis revealed a normal locomotor sensitization to amphetamine and cocaine. When investigating if the reduced level of glutamate co-release from DA neurons caused a detectable post-synaptic effect on MSNs, patch clamp analysis identified an enhanced baseline AMPA/NMDA ratio in DA receptor subtype 1 (DRD1)-expressing accumbal MSNs which occluded the effect of cocaine on synaptic transmission. We conclude that VGLUT2 in mature DA neurons actively contributes to glutamatergic neurotransmission in the NAc, a finding which for the first time highlights VGLUT2-mediated glutamate co-release in the complex mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in drug addiction.
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| 3. |
- Pettersson, Hanna, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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SLC10A4 regulates IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation in vitro and mast cell-mediated reactions in vivo
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mast cells act as sensors in innate immunity and as effector cells in adaptive immune reactions. Here we demonstrate that SLC10A4, also referred to as the vesicular aminergic-associated transporter, VAAT, modifies mast cell degranulation. Strikingly, Slc10a4(-/-) bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) had a significant reduction in the release of granule-associated mediators in response to IgE/antigen-mediated activation, whereas the in vitro development of mast cells, the storage of the granule-associated enzyme mouse mast cell protease 6 (mMCP-6), and the release of prostaglandin D2 and IL-6 were normal. Slc10a4-deficient mice had a strongly reduced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and a less intense itching behaviour in response to the mast cell degranulator 48/80. Live imaging of the IgE/antigen-mediated activation showed decreased degranulation and that ATP was retained to a higher degree in mast cell granules lacking SLC10A4. Furthermore, ATP was reduced by two thirds in Slc10a4(-/-) BMMCs supernatants in response to IgE/antigen. We speculate that SLC10A4 affects the amount of granule-associated ATP upon IgE/antigen-induced mast cell activation, which affect the release of granule-associated mast cell mediators. In summary, SLC10A4 acts as a regulator of degranulation in vitro and of mast cell-related reactions in vivo.
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| 4. |
- Pettersson, Hanna, 1968-
(författare)
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Steroid-Metabolizing Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Enzymes in the Maintenance of Cholesterol and Sex Hormone Levels
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The enzymes CYP27A1 and CYP7B1 are widely expressed in various human tissues and perform catalytic reactions in cholesterol homeostasis and endocrine signaling. We have investigated the metabolism of a synthetic oxysterol. In this study, we show that CYP27A1 is the enzyme responsible for a 28-hydroxylation of this oxysterol and that the rate of CYP27A1-mediated metabolism is relatively slow. This may give an explanation for the prolonged inhibitory effects on cholesterol biosynthesis that have been shown for this oxysterol. The current study contributes to the knowledge of synthetically produced oxysterols and their potential use as cholesterol lowering drugs. In two studies we investigated CYP7B1-mediated metabolism of different sex hormones. Our data indicate that CYP7B1 may carry out a previously unknown catalytic reaction involving an androgen. Taken together the data suggest that varying steroid concentrations in cells and tissues may be important for CYP7B1-dependent metabolism of sex hormones and sex hormone precursors. CYP7B1-mediated hydroxylation of sex hormones may influence the cellular levels of these steroids and may be a potential pathway for elimination of the steroids from the cell. Some known CYP7B1 substrates are agonists for ERα and ERβ but the reported role(s) of CYP7B1 for ER action are not fully understood. In the last study we investigated the role(s) of CYP7B1-mediated metabolism for ER-mediated action. Our data indicate that CYP7B1-mediated conversion of steroids that affect ER-mediated response into their 7α-hydroxymetabolites will result in loss of action. This indicates that CYP7B1 may have an important role for regulation of ER-mediated processes in the body. In summary, results from this thesis contribute to the knowledge on the metabolism of synthetic oxysterols of potential use as cholesterol lowering drugs and the role(s) of CYP7B1-mediated metabolism for processes related to the functions of sex hormones.
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