title: Expression of ocular albinism 1 (OA1), 3, 4- dihydroxy- L-phenylalanine (DOPA) receptor, in both neuronal and non-neuronal organs.
abstract: Oa1 is the casual gene for ocular albinism-1 in humans. The gene product OA1, alternatively designated as GPR143, belongs to G-protein coupled receptors. It has been reported that OA1 is a specific receptor for 3, 4-dihydroxy- L-phenylalanine (DOPA) in retinal pigmental epithelium where DOPA facilitates the pigmentation via OA1 stimulation. We have recently shown that OA1 mediates DOPA-induced depressor response in rat nucleus tractus solitarii. However, the distribution and function of OA1 in other regions are largely unknown. We have generated oa1 knockout mice and examined OA1 expression in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues by immunohistochemical analyses using anti-mouse OA1 monoclonal antibodies. In the telencephalon, OA1 was expressed in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Predominant expression of OA1 was observed in the pyramidal neurons in these regions. OA1 was also expressed in habenular nucleus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra, and medulla oblongata. The expression of OA1 in the nucleus tractus solitarii of medulla oblongata may support the reduction of blood pressure by the microinjection of DOPA into this region. Outside of the nervous system, OA1 was expressed in heart, lung, liver, kidney and spleen. Abundant expression was observed in the renal tubules and the splenic capsules. These peripheral regions are innervated by numerous sympathetic nerve endings. In addition, substantia nigra contains a large population of dopaminergic neurons. Thus, the immunohistochemical analyses suggest that OA1 may modulate the monoaminergic functions in both peripheral and central nervous systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Saki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Daiki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Masukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Moemi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
authors.forename: Yui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan. Electronic address: f-nakamura@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan. Electronic address: goshima@med.yokohama-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goshima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005136:Eye Proteins; C506821:Gpr143 protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
keywords: DOPA; GPR143; Immunohistochemistry; Knockout mice; OA1