title: The developing use of heterozygous mutant mouse models in brain monoamine transporter research.
abstract: 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine and norepinephrine are important monoamine neurotransmitters implicated in multiple brain mechanisms and regulated by high-affinity transmembrane monoamine transporters. Although knockout mice lacking 5-HT, dopamine or norepinephrine transporters are widely used to assess brain monoamine processes, these models have several methodological limitations. There is mounting evidence that heterozygous mutant mice with reduced (but not abolished) monoamine transporter functions could provide models with greater relevance to the genetics of human disorders, which only rarely involve complete loss-of-function mutations. Here, we discuss why heterozygous mouse models, in addition to knockout mice, might be useful for brain monoamine transporter research.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Science, Building 10, Room 3D41, National Institute of Mental Health, 10 Center Drive, 1264 Bethesda, MD 20892-1264, USA. kalueva@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Allan V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kalueff
authors.forename: Renee F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ren-Patterson
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D023421:Models, Animal; D050479:Neurotransmitter Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D050479:Neurotransmitter Transport Proteins