title: Antidepressant drugs promote the heterodimerization of the dopamine D2 and somatostatin Sst5 receptors--fluorescence in vitro studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The interaction between the dopaminergic and somatostatinergic systems and their role in mood regulation have been well-documented. Therefore, we decided to investigate the effect of antidepressant drugs on the heterodimerization of the dopamine D2 and somatostatin Sst5 receptors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The human receptor proteins were tagged with fluorescent proteins, expressed in the HEK 293 cells and incubated with antidepressant drugs: desipramine and citalopram. To determine the FRET efficiency, the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and photobleaching confocal microscopy techniques were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the efficiency of FRET is markedly increased in cells coexpressing the somatostatin Sst5 and dopamine D2 receptors after 48 h of incubation with desipramine and citalopram.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study we provide physical evidence, based on FRET analysis, that antidepressants increase Sst5 and D2 receptors heterodimerization. The effect is specific because desipramine in the incubation medium uncouples other pairs of receptors, such as the dopamine D1-D2 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Kinga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szafran
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lukasiewicz
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faron-Górecka
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolasa
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuśmider
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solich
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dziedzicka-Wasylewska
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000737:chemistry*; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; C094573:somatostatin receptor 5