MOUSE SYNAPTIC VESICULAR MONAMINE TRANSPORTER

主要脑泡单胺的活动 转运蛋白VMAT2是理解细胞内 单胺的区室化，可能在 调节苯丙胺的作用和神经毒性 每一种毒素选择性地杀死多巴胺能神经元 提供目前最好的帕金森病模型。在这 FY，本分支的工作人员描述了敲除的性质 VMAT2基因缺失的小鼠，以及 这个基因本身在老鼠和人类身上。VMAT2缺陷杂合子 老鼠对可卡因的反应有选择性的改变， 安非他明，以及MPTP毒性的差异。这些小鼠 大大提高了我们对 精神兴奋剂和多巴胺能神经毒素作用。

Activities of the principal brain vesicular monamine transporter, VMAT2, are key to understanding the cellular compartmentalization of monoamines that may play a key role in modulating the actions and neurotoxicities induced by amphetamine and by each of the toxins that selectively kills dopaminergic neurons to provide the best current models of Parkinson's disease. In this FY, workers in this Branch described the properties of knockout mice with deletions of the VMAT2 gene, as well as the structure of this gene itself in mice and humans. VMAT2 deficient heterozygote mice show selective alterations in their responses to cocaine and amphetamine, as well as differences in MPTP toxicities. These mice substantially enhance our understanding of mechanisms of psychostimulant and dopaminergic neurotoxin action.