Are dopamine receptor and transporter changes in Rett syndrome reflected in Mecp2-deficient mice?

We tested the claim that the dopaminergic dysfunction of Rett Syndrome (RTT) also occurs in Mecp2-deficient mice that serve as a model of the syndrome. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to image dopamine D receptors (DR) and transporters (DAT) in women with RTT and in Mecp2-deficient mice, and DR and DR density was measured in postmortem human tissue by autoradiography. Results showed 1) significantly reduced DR density in the striatum of women with RTT compared to control subjects.