title: Cocaine-induced potentiation of synaptic strength in dopamine neurons: behavioral correlates in GluRA(-/-) mice.
abstract: Synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is thought to contribute to the neural adaptations that mediate behavioral sensitization, a model for core aspects of addiction. Recently, it has been demonstrated that multiple classes of drugs of abuse, as well as acute stress, enhance strength at excitatory synapses on midbrain DA neurons. Here, we show that both the cocaine- and stress-induced synaptic enhancement involves an up-regulation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors. This enhancement requires the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit GluRA as evidenced by its absence in mice lacking this subunit. The cocaine-elicited, but not the stress-elicited, synaptic potentiation in DA neurons was blocked by a D1-like receptor antagonist, indicating that the in vivo triggering mechanisms differ for these forms of experience-dependent synaptic modification. Surprisingly, behavioral sensitization to cocaine was elicited in GluRA(-/-) mice, indicating that potentiation of excitatory synaptic transmission in DA neurons is not necessary for this form of behavioral plasticity. However, GluRA(-/-) mice did not exhibit a conditioned locomotor response when placed in a context previously paired with cocaine, nor did they exhibit conditioned place preference in response to cocaine. We suggest that the drug-induced enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission in midbrain DA neurons, although not required for behavioral sensitization per se, may contribute to the attribution of incentive value to drug-associated cues.
authors.affiliation: Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faust
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonci
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Malenka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine