title: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of dopamine-mediated behavioral plasticity in the striatum.
abstract: The striatum is the input structure of the basal ganglia system. By integrating glutamatergic signals from cortical and subcortical regions and dopaminergic signals from mesolimbic nuclei the striatum functions as an important neural substrate for procedural and motor learning as well as for reward-guided behaviors. In addition, striatal activity is significantly altered in pathological conditions in which either a loss of dopamine innervation (Parkinson's disease) or aberrant dopamine-mediated signaling (drug addiction and L-DOPA induced dyskinesia) occurs. Here we discuss cellular mechanisms of striatal synaptic plasticity and aspects of cell signaling underlying striatum-dependent behavior, with a major focus on the neuromodulatory action of the endocannabinoid system and on the role of the Ras-ERK cascade.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CF10 3AX Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerovic
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: d'Isa
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brambilla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine
keywords: Basal ganglia; Drug addiction; Endocannabinoids; Instrumental learning; L-DOPA induced dyskinesia; Long-term depression; Long-term potentiation; Nucleus accumbens; Ras–ERK signaling; Striatum