title: Regulators of G-protein signaling 4: modulation of 5-HT1A-mediated neurotransmitter release in vivo.
abstract: Regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) play a key role in the signal transduction of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Specifically, RGS proteins function as GTPase accelerating proteins (GAPs) to dampen or "negatively regulate" GPCR-mediated signaling. Our group recently showed that RGS4 effectively GAPs Galpha(i)-mediated signaling in CHO cells expressing the serotonin-1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor. However, whether a similar relationship exists in vivo has yet to be identified. In present studies, a replication-deficient herpes simplex virus (HSV) was used to elevate RGS4 mRNA in the rat dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN) while extracellular levels of 5-HT in the striatum were monitored by in vivo microdialysis. Initial experiments conducted with noninfected rats showed that acute administration of 8-OH-DPAT (0.01-0.3 mg/kg, subcutaneous [s.c.]) dose dependently decreased striatal levels of 5-HT, an effect postulated to result from activation of somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors in the DRN. In control rats receiving a single intra-DRN infusion of HSV-LacZ, 8-OH-DPAT (0.03 mg/kg, s.c.) decreased 5-HT levels to an extent similar to that observed in noninfected animals. Conversely, rats infected with HSV-RGS4 in the DRN showed a blunted neurochemical response to 8-OH-DPAT (0.03 mg/kg, s.c.); however, increasing the dose to 0.3 mg/kg reversed this effect. Together, these findings represent the first in vivo evidence demonstrating that RGS4 functions to GAP Galpha(i)-coupled receptors and suggest that drug discovery efforts targeting RGS proteins may represent a novel mechanism to manipulate 5-HT(1A)-mediated neurotransmitter release.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Discovery Research, Wyeth Research, CN 8000, Princeton, NJ 08543-8000, USA. beyerc1@wyeth.com
authors.forename: Chad E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghavami
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: Lee A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Lee E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Schechter
authors.forename: Kathleen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis / Q000379:methods; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D020710:RGS Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D011725:Pyridines; D020710:RGS Proteins; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; C098799:RGS4 protein; D012701:Serotonin; C090413:N-(2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl)ethyl)-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide; D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin