title: Tyrosine hydroxylase activity and its mRNA level in dopaminergic neurons of tenascin gene knockout mouse.
abstract: We have recently demonstrated that some tenascin (TN) gene-knockout mice display abnormal behaviors, and that these abnormal behaviors stem from a low level of dopamine transmission in the brain. In the present study, we elucidated that tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in the frontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus of TN-knockout mice which showed abnormal behavior was significantly decreased. Also, the TH mRNA level of the midbrain was decreased by 43% in these animals compared with values for wild-type mice. These results suggest that the low dopamine turnover rate in some areas of the brain of TN-knockout mice accompanied by motor defects is due, at least in part, to the reduction in TH activity caused by diminished TH mRNA expression, and that TN-knockout mice exhibit abnormal behaviors in the presence of low levels of TH-gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fukamauchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mataga
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshiki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019063:Tenascin / Q000235:genetics*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019063:Tenascin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine