title: Decarboxylation of L-dopa by cultured mouse astrocytes.
abstract: Cultured astrocytes contain immunologically specific aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) protein and express the AADC gene. Following incubation with L-Dopa, glial cultures synthesize and metabolize dopamine. The addition of pyridoxal 5-phosphate did not change the rate of dopamine synthesis. The formation of dopamine was blocked by NSD-1015. These experiments show that mouse cultured astrocytes are capable to convert L-Dopa into dopamine in a dose-dependent fashion.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Juorio
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walz
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Paterson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001142:Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003653:Decarboxylation; D015870:Gene Expression; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa; D001142:Aromatic-L-Amino-Acid Decarboxylases