Premium
Dopamine receptor signaling molecules are altered in elderly schizophrenic cortex
Author(s) -
Baracskay Karen L.,
Haroutunian Vahram,
MeadorWoodruff James H.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
synapse
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.809
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1098-2396
pISSN - 0887-4476
DOI - 10.1002/syn.20292
Subject(s) - neuroscience , neurotransmission , dopaminergic , dopamine , prefrontal cortex , dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , dopamine receptor , anterior cingulate cortex , dendritic spine , psychology , receptor , biology , medicine , cognition , hippocampal formation
Alterations of molecules that mediate dopaminergic signal transduction have been found in schizophrenia, supporting the hypothesis of altered dopaminergic neurotransmission in this illness. To further explore this hypothesis, the authors measured transcript expression of three proteins involved in dopamine (DA) signaling in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex of elderly schizophrenic subjects and a comparison group. The transcript encoding calcyon, a protein that potentiates crosstalk between D1 DA receptors and G q/11 ‐linked receptors, was increased in schizophrenic prefrontal and cingulate cortex by 25%. Transcript levels of spinophilin, a protein enriched in dendritic spines that modulates excitatory neurotransmission, were increased 22% in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex but were unchanged in anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia. Levels of DARPP‐32 mRNA, a downstream effector of dopaminergic neurotransmission, were similar in both groups for both cortical groups. These alterations in spinophilin and calcyon mRNA levels in schizophrenic prefrontal and cingulate cortex provide further evidence of altered dopaminergic neurotransmission in this illness. Synapse 60:271–279, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.