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. 2000 Jan;25(1):239-52.
doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80886-7.

Mice lacking alpha-synuclein display functional deficits in the nigrostriatal dopamine system

A Abeliovich  1 , Y Schmitz, I Fariñas, D Choi-Lundberg, W H Ho, P E Castillo, N Shinsky, J M Verdugo, M Armanini, A Ryan, M Hynes, H Phillips, D Sulzer, A Rosenthal
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Free article

Mice lacking alpha-synuclein display functional deficits in the nigrostriatal dopamine system

A Abeliovich et al. Neuron. 2000 Jan.
Free article

Abstract

alpha-Synuclein (alpha-Syn) is a 14 kDa protein of unknown function that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that alpha-Syn-/- mice are viable and fertile, exhibit intact brain architecture, and possess a normal complement of dopaminergic cell bodies, fibers, and synapses. Nigrostriatal terminals of alpha-Syn-/- mice display a standard pattern of dopamine (DA) discharge and reuptake in response to simple electrical stimulation. However, they exhibit an increased release with paired stimuli that can be mimicked by elevated Ca2+. Concurrent with the altered DA release, alpha-Syn-/- mice display a reduction in striatal DA and an attenuation of DA-dependent locomotor response to amphetamine. These findings support the hypothesis that alpha-Syn is an essential presynaptic, activity-dependent negative regulator of DA neurotransmission.

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