title: The Small GTP-Binding Protein Rhes Influences Nigrostriatal-Dependent Motor Behavior During Aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Here we aimed to evaluate: (1) Rhes mRNA expression in mouse midbrain, (2) the effect of Rhes deletion on the number of dopamine neurons, (3) nigrostriatal-sensitive behavior during aging in knockout mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radioactive in situ hybridization was assessed in adult mice. The beam-walking test was executed in 3-, 6- and 12-month-old mice. Immunohistochemistry of midbrain tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons was performed in 6- and 12-month-old mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rhes mRNA is expressed in TH-positive neurons of SNpc and the ventral tegmental area. Moreover, lack of Rhes leads to roughly a 20% loss of nigral TH-positive neurons in both 6- and 12-month-old mutants, when compared with their age-matched controls. Finally, lack of Rhes triggers subtle alterations in motor performance and coordination during aging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate a fine-tuning role of Rhes in regulating the number of TH-positive neurons of the substantia nigra and nigrostriatal-sensitive motor behavior during aging.
authors: National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Neuroscience Institute, Cagliari, Italy.
authors: Annalisa
authors: A
authors: Pinna
authors: Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy.|Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Napolitano
authors: Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.|Institute of Neuroscience - Université Catholique de Louvain, avenue Hippocrate 55, Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Pelosi
authors: Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Di Maio
authors: Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
authors: Jadwiga
authors: J
authors: Wardas
authors: National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Translational Pharmacology, UOS of Cagliari, Scientific and Technological Park of Sardinia POLARIS, Pula, Italy.
authors: Maria Antonietta
authors: MA
authors: Casu
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences, section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Costa
authors: Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Migliarini
authors: Laboratorio di Neurofisiologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.|Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Ospedale Santa Maria della Misericordia, S. Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Calabresi
authors: Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.|Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto (Trento), Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Pasqualetti
authors: National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Neuroscience Institute, Cagliari, Italy.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
authors: Micaela
authors: M
authors: Morelli
authors: Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy.|Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples (SUN), Caserta, Italy.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Usiello
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; C488189:Rasd2 protein, mouse
keywords: Rasd2; Rhes; TH-positive neurons; dopamine neurons; midbrain