title: Dopa-decarboxylation in the striata of rats with unilateral substantia nigra lesions.
abstract: The source and site of the DOPA decarboxylation to dopamine in Parkinson's disease (PD) and animal models of PD are controversial. Since most of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) are lost along with the degenerating dopaminergic neurons, we addressed the possibility that other decarboxylases or a novel protein that is structurally different from AADC decarboxylate L-DOPA in the denervated striatum. Immunotitration of the extracts from the denervated striatum with AADC antibody showed that all activity can be attributed to AADC-immunoreactive protein. We then investigated if there are non-dopaminergic intrinsic striatal neurons that express AADC. No evidence of such neurons was noted by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization.
authors: Burke Medical Research Institute, Cornell University Medical College, White Plains, NY 10605.
authors: U J
authors: UJ
authors: Kang
authors: D H
authors: DH
authors: Park
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Wessel
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Baker
authors: T H
authors: TH
authors: Joh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001142:Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003653:Decarboxylation; D003714:Denervation; D003956:Dialysis; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase; D001142:Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases