Cited by 1,722Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Mice Lacking α-Synuclein Display Functional Deficits in the Nigrostriatal Dopamine System

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Abeliovich, Asa, Schmitz, Yvonne, Fariñas, Isabel, Choi-Lundberg, Derek, Ho, Wei-Hsien, Castillo, Pablo E, Shinsky, Natasha, Verdugo, Jose Manuel Garcia +6 more·2000·Neuron

Abstract

alpha-Synuclein (alpha-Syn) is a 14 kDa protein of unknown function that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that alpha-Syn-/- mice are viable and fertile, exhibit intact brain architecture, and possess a normal complement of dopaminergic cell bodies, fibers, and synapses. Nigrostriatal terminals of alpha-Syn-/- mice display a standard pattern of dopamine (DA) discharge and reuptake in response to simple electrical stimulation. However, they exhibit an increased release with paired stimuli that can be mimicked by elevated Ca2+. Concurrent with the altered DA release, alpha-Syn-/- mice display a reduction in striatal DA and an attenuation of DA-dependent locomotor response to amphetamine. These findings support the hypothesis that alpha-Syn is an essential presynaptic, activity-dependent negative regulator of DA neurotransmission.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80886-7

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51 of 51 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • αSyn-KO and α/β-Syn double-KO mice exhibit reduced brain dopamine levels compared to wild-type animals.

    “However, αSyn-KO, and α/β-Syn double-KO mice exhibited reduced brain dopamine levels compared to wild-type (wt) animals”

    From α-synuclein in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (2019) · cites this paper as [155]

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Authors
Abeliovich, A., Schmitz, Y., Fariñas, I., Choi-Lundberg, D., Ho, W.-H., Castillo, P. E., Shinsky, N., Verdugo, J. M. G., Armanini, M., Ryan, A., Hynes, M., Phillips, H., Sulzer, D., & Rosenthal, A.
Affiliations
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
  • Universitat de València (ES)
  • Genentech (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Rosenthal, Arnon
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2000-01
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
239-252
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2171281715
Cited by
1,722
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 39 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 67 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 68 · 2018: 61 · 2017: 70 · 2016: 61 · 2015: 75 · 2014: 82 · 2013: 71 · 2012: 77
FWCI
39.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
alpha-synuclein, Parkinson's disease, nigrostriatal dopamine system, dopamine release, presynaptic modulation, paired-pulse facilitation, calcium-dependent release, striatal dopamine, dopamine reuptake, dopamine signaling
MeSH terms
Amphetamine, Animals, Calcium, Corpus Striatum, Dopamine, Female, Hippocampus, Locomotion, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Motor Activity, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Synaptic Transmission, Neurons, Substantia Nigra, Dopamine Agents, Gene Expression, Autoreceptors, Presynaptic Terminals, Long-Term Potentiation, Mice, Knockout, Glutamic Acid, rab3A GTP-Binding Protein, Mice, Synucleins, alpha-Synuclein, Calbindins, S100 Calcium Binding Protein G

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