title: Diversity and development of local inhibitory and excitatory neurons associated with dopaminergic nuclei.
abstract: For regulation of voluntary movement and motivation the midbrain dopaminergic system receives input from a variety of brain regions. Often this input is mediated by local non-dopaminergic neurons within or closely associated with the dopaminergic nuclei. In addition to the dopaminergic neurons, some of these non-dopaminergic neurons also send functionally important output from the ventral midbrain to forebrain targets. The aim of this review is to introduce subtypes of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons, which are located in the dopaminergic nuclei or the adjacent brainstem and are important for the regulation of the dopaminergic pathways. In addition, we discuss recent studies beginning to reveal mechanisms for their development, which may hold the key to understanding the diversity of these neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, Division of Genetics, P.O. Box 56, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morello
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, Division of Genetics, P.O. Box 56, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: Juha.M.Partanen@Helsinki.Fi.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Partanen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D059330:GABAergic Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
keywords: Dopamine; GABA; Glutamate; Rostromedial tegmental nucleus; Substantia nigra; Ventral tegmental area