Environmental enrichment decreases cell surface expression of the dopamine transporter in rat medial prefrontal cortex.
Rats raised in an enriched environmental condition (EC) exhibit a decreased (35%) maximal velocity (V(max)) of [3H]dopamine (DA) uptake in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) compared with rats raised in an impoverished condition (IC); however, no differences between EC and IC groups in V(max) for [3H]DA uptake were found in nucleus accumbens and striatum. Using biotinylation and immunoblotting techniques, the present study examined whether the brain region-specific decrease in DA transporter (DAT) function is the result of a reduction in DAT cell surface expression. In mPFC, nucleus accumbens and striatum, total DAT immunoreactivity was not different between EC and IC groups. Whereas no differences in cell surface expression of DAT were found in nucleus accumbens and striatum, DAT immunoreactivity in the biotinylated cell surface fraction of mPFC was decreased (39%) in EC compared with IC rats, consistent with the magnitude of the previously observed decrease in V(max) for [3H]DA uptake in mPFC in EC rats. These results suggest that the decrease in DAT cell surface expression in the mPFC may be responsible for decreased DAT function in the mPFC of EC compared with IC rats, and that there is plasticity in the regulatory mechanisms mediating DAT trafficking and function.
Zhu
Jun
J
College of Pharmacy, Univeristy of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0082, USA.
Apparsundaram
Subbu
S
Bardo
Michael T
MT
Dwoskin
Linda P
LP
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004779:Environment Design; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493216:Slc6a3 protein, rat; D004298:Dopamine