title: Deficiency of brain 5-HT synthesis but serotonergic neuron formation in Tph2 knockout mice.
abstract: The relative contribution of the two tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) isoforms, TPH1 and TPH2, to brain serotonergic system function is controversial. To investigate the respective role of TPH2 in neuron serotonin (5-HT) synthesis and the role of 5-HT in brain development, mice with a targeted disruption of Tph2 were generated. The preliminary results indicate that in Tph2 knockout mice raphe neurons are completely devoid of 5-HT, whereas no obvious alteration in morphology and fiber distribution are observed. The findings confirm the exclusive specificity of Tph2 in brain 5-HT synthesis and suggest that Tph2-synthesized 5-HT is not required for serotonergic neuron formation.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Clinical Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Fuechsleinstrasse 15, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany. Gutknecht_L@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutknecht
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waider
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kriegebaum
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holtmann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Klaus-Peter
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lesch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012701:Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; C487802:Tph2 protein, mouse; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase