Amphetamine dephosphorylates ERM proteins in the nucleus accumbens core and lithium attenuates its effects.
The ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins have been implicated not only in cell-shape determination but also in cellular signaling pathway. We have previously shown that cocaine decreases phosphorylation levels of these proteins in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important brain area mediating addictive behaviors. Here we further revealed that the phosphorylation levels of ERM were decreased in the NAcc core, but not in the shell, by a single injection of amphetamine (AMPH) (2 mg/kg, i.p.). When lithium (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was co-administered with AMPH, the decreases of phosphorylation levels for ERM by AMPH were recovered back to basal levels in the NAcc core. Together, these results suggest that psychomotor stimulants like AMPH regulate phosphorylation levels of ERM in the NAcc core and lithium-involved signaling pathway has a regulatory role in the opposite direction in this site.
Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Wha Young
WY
Kim
Ju Kyong
JK
Jang
Joong-Keun
JK
Shin
Jeong-Hoon
JH
Kim
D000818:Animals; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D000099149:Ezrin
D018692:Antimanic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D000099149:Ezrin; C071058:moesin; C071776:radixin
Amphetamine; ERM; Lithium; Nucleus accumbens