title: The role of gamma-synuclein in cocaine-induced behaviour in rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of gamma-synuclein in the rewarding effects of chronic cocaine administration and its putative interaction with the dopamine transporter (DAT). For this purpose, regulatable lentiviruses driving overexpression of the rat gamma-synuclein or DAT have been prepared, as well as lentiviruses expressing siRNAs, aimed at silencing either DAT or gamma-synuclein mRNA expression. Overexpression of DAT in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) induced a 35% decrease in locomotor activity, which could be abolished when the same animal was fed doxycycline. Furthermore, local inhibition of DAT in the NAc, using lentiviruses expressing siRNAs targeted against DAT, resulted in significant hyperlocomotion activity (72% increase over controls). By contrast, overexpression of gamma-synuclein in the NAc alone had no effect, while local silencing lead to a significant decrease in cocaine-induced locomotor activity (47% decrease compared with controls). Surprisingly, coinjection lentiviruses expressing DAT and gamma-synuclein - leading to overexpression of both proteins in the NAc - resulted in a strong increase in cocaine-induced rat locomotor activity (52% increase compared with controls), which was abolished upon locally silencing these genes, suggesting a synergetic role of both proteins, possibly mediated through a direct interaction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Rue du Musée 5, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dreyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D051845:gamma-Synuclein / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051845:gamma-Synuclein; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine