Probes for INS

Synthesis and regulation of catecholamine neurotransmitters in the central nervous system are implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify factors that regulate the presynaptic synthesis of catecholamines, we tested the hypothesis that the rate-limiting enzyme of the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), is locally synthesized in axons and presynaptic nerve terminals of noradrenergic neurons. To isolate pure axonal mRNA and protein, rat superior cervical ganglion sympathetic neurons were cultured in compartmentalized Campenot chambers. qRT-PCR and RNA in situ hybridization analyses showed that TH mRNA is present in distal axons. Colocalization experiments with nerve terminal marker proteins suggested that both TH mRNA and protein localize in regions of the axon that resemble nerve terminals (i.e., synaptic boutons). Analysis of polysome-bound RNA showed that TH mRNA is present in polysomes isolated from distal axons. Metabolic labeling of axonally synthesized proteins labeled with the methionine analog, L-azidohomoalanine, showed that TH is locally synthesized in axons. Moreover, the local transfection and translation of exogenous TH mRNA into distal axons facilitated axonal dopamine synthesis. Finally, using chimeric td-Tomato-tagged constructs, we identified a sequence element within the TH 3'UTR that is required for the axonal localization of the reporter mRNA. Taken together, our results provide the first direct evidence that TH mRNA is trafficked to the axon and that the mRNA is locally translated. These findings raise the interesting possibility that the biosynthesis of the catecholamine neurotransmitters is locally regulated in the axon and/or presynaptic nerve terminal.

A subset of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons express vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VgluT2), which facilitates synaptic vesicle loading of glutamate. Recent studies indicate that such expression can modulate DA-dependent reward behaviors, but little is known about functional consequences of DA neuron VgluT2 expression in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we report that selective deletion of VgluT2 in DA neurons in conditional VgluT2-KO (VgluT2-cKO) mice abolished glutamate release from DA neurons, reduced their expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB), and exacerbated the pathological effects of exposure to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Furthermore, viral rescue of VgluT2 expression in DA neurons of VglutT2-cKO mice restored BDNF/TrkB expression and attenuated MPTP-induced DA neuron loss and locomotor impairment. Together, these findings indicate that VgluT2 expression in DA neurons is neuroprotective. Genetic or environmental factors causing reduced expression or function of VgluT2 in DA neurons may place some individuals at increased risk for DA neuron degeneration. Therefore, maintaining physiological expression and function of VgluT2 in DA neurons may represent a valid molecular target for the development of preventive therapeutic interventions for PD.

Parkinson's disease is characterized by the loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area are more resistant to this degeneration than those in the SNc, though the mechanisms for selective resistance or vulnerability remain poorly understood. A key to elucidating these processes may lie within the subset of DA neurons that corelease glutamate and express the vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT2. Here, we addressed the potential relationship between VGLUT expression and DA neuronal vulnerability by overexpressing VGLUT in DA neurons of flies and mice. In Drosophila, VGLUT overexpression led to loss of select DA neuron populations. Similarly, expression of VGLUT2 specifically in murine SNc DA neurons led to neuronal loss and Parkinsonian behaviors. Other neuronal cell types showed no such sensitivity, suggesting that DA neurons are distinctively vulnerable to VGLUT2 expression. Additionally, most DA neurons expressed VGLUT2 during development, and coexpression of VGLUT2 with DA markers increased following injury in the adult. Finally, conditional deletion of VGLUT2 made DA neurons more susceptible to Parkinsonian neurotoxins. These data suggest that the balance of VGLUT2 expression is a crucial determinant of DA neuron survival. Ultimately, manipulation of this VGLUT2-dependent process may represent an avenue for therapeutic development.