Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of diverse neurodevelopmental conditions where core behavioral symptoms are critical for diagnosis. Altered dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the striatum has been suggested to contribute to the behavioral features of ASD. Here, we examine DA neurotransmission in a mouse model of ASD characterized by elevated expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), a key regulator of cap-dependent translation, using a comprehensive approach that encompasses genetics, behavior, synaptic physiology, and imaging. The results indicate that increased eIF4E expression leads to behavioral inflexibility and impaired striatal DA release. The loss of normal DA neurotransmission is due to a defect in nicotinic receptor signaling that regulates calcium dynamics in dopaminergic axons. These findings provide a mechanistic understanding of ASD symptoms and offer a foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions by revealing the intricate interplay between eIF4E, DA neurotransmission, and behavioral flexibility.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114997 | DOI Listing |
J Clin Psychiatry
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Pharmacotherapy plays a crucial role in treating attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, current medications for ADHD have limitations and potential adverse effects. Glutamate, a neurotransmitter that directly and indirectly modulates dopamine neurotransmission, is considered a new therapeutic target for ADHD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMidbrain dopamine neurons are well-known to shape central nervous system function, yet there is growing evidence for their influence on the peripheral immune systems. Here we demonstrate that midbrain dopamine neurons form a circuit to the spleen via a multisynaptic pathway from the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) through the celiac ganglion. Midbrain dopamine neurons modulate the activity of D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptor-expressing DVC neurons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurobiol Learn Mem
December 2024
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX 78712, United States; Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX 78712, United States; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX 78712, United States. Electronic address:
The ability to choose between options that differ in their risks and rewards depends on brain regions within the mesocorticolimbic circuit and regulation of their activity by neurotransmitter systems. Dopamine neurotransmission in particular plays a critical role in modulating such risk-taking behavior; however, the contribution of other major modulatory neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, is not as well-defined, especially for decision making in which the risk associated with more rewarding outcomes involves adverse consequences. Consequently, the goal of the current experiments was to examine how cholinergic signaling influences decision making involving risk of explicit punishment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Chem Soc
December 2024
College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
The quantitative analysis of vesicular neurotransmitters in neurons in situ is paramount for investigating neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease (PD). Unfortunately, a direct approach for monitoring neurotransmitter chemistry in single vesicles in fresh brain tissue has remained inaccessible so far. Here, we introduce an innovative platform of single-vesicle electrochemistry (SVE) in fresh brain tissue, enabling the quantification of neurotransmitters at the single-vesicle level for both soma and varicosity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIbrain
September 2024
Department of Psychological Sciences Forensic Science Academy Salerno Italy.
Tic disorders represent a developmental neuropsychiatric condition whose causes can be attributed to a variety of environmental, neurobiological, and genetic factors. From a neurophysiological perspective, the disorder has classically been associated with neurochemical imbalances (particularly dopamine and serotonin) and structural and functional alterations affecting, in particular, brain areas and circuits involved in the processing and coordination of movements: the basal ganglia, thalamus, motor cortical area, and cingulate cortex; however, more recent research is demonstrating the involvement of many more brain regions and neurotransmission systems than previously observed, such as the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. In this paper, therefore, we summarize the evidence to date on these abnormalities with the intent to illustrate and clarify the main neuroanatomical differences between patients with tic disorders and healthy individuals.
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