Functional morphology of dopamine synapses in the mouse striatum

• Project/Area Number: 25830031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nerve anatomy/Neuropathology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: UCHIGASHIMA Motokazu 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (10614662)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: ドーパミン / 線条体 / ニューロリギン / シナプス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Midbrain dopaminergic neurons form a number of so-called dopamine synapses on stratal neurons, and have a strong influence on motor and cognitive functions. However, the molecular composition of dopamine synapses remains elusive. Here we found that dopamine synapses were heterologous contacts between a dopaminergic presynapse and GABAergic postsynapse in the mouse striatum, and synaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin-2 was involved in their formation. These suggest that dopamine synapses can increase the potency and selectivity of dopaminergic modulation by the anchorage of dopamine release sites to target stratal neurons.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] VGluT3-Expressing CCK-Positive Basket Cells Construct Invaginating Synapses Enriched with Endocannabinoid Signaling Proteins in Particular Cortical and Cortex-Like Amygdaloid Regions of Mouse Brains. (2015)
  • Author(s): Omiya Y, Uchigashima M, Konno K, Yamasaki M, Miyazaki T, Yoshida T, Kusumi I, Watanabe M.
  • Journal Title: J Neurosci. Volume: 35(10) Issue: 10 Pages: 4215-4228
  • DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4681-14.2015
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Retrograde signaling for climbing fiber synapse elimination. (2015)
  • Author(s): Uesaka N, Uchigashima M, Mikuni T, Hirai H, Watanabe M, Kano M
  • Journal Title: Cerebellum Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Pages: 4-7
  • DOI: 10.1007/s12311-014-0615-y
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Cellular and subcellular localization of cholecystokinin (CCK)-1 receptors in the pancreas, gallbladder, and stomach of mice. (2015)
  • Author(s): Konno K, Takahashi-Iwanaga H, Uchigashima M, Miyasaka K, Funakoshi A, Watanabe M, Iwanaga T
  • Journal Title: Histochem Cell Biol Volume: 143 Issue: 3 Pages: 301-312
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00418-014-1281-3
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Neuron type- and input pathway-dependent expression of Slc4a10 in adult mouse brains. (2014)
  • Author(s): Song X, Yamasaki M, Miyazaki T, Konno K, Uchigashima M, Watanabe M
  • Journal Title: Eur J Neurosci, Volume: 40 Issue: 5 Pages: 2797-2810
  • DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12636
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Enriched Expression of GluD1 in Higher Brain Regions and Its Involvement in Parallel Fiber-Interneuron Synapse Formation in the Cerebellum. (2014)
  • Author(s): Konno K, Matsuda K, Nakamoto C, Uchigashima M, Miyazaki T, Yamasaki M, Sakimura K, Yuzaki M, Watanabe M.
  • Journal Title: J Neurosci. Volume: 34(22) Issue: 22 Pages: 7412-24
  • DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0628-14.2014
  • NAID: 120005537463
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Retrograde semaphorin signaling regulates synapse elimination in the developing mouse brain (2014)
  • Author(s): Uesaka N, Uchigashima,M, Mikuni T, Nakazawa T, Nakao H, Hirai K, Aiba A, Watanabe M, Kano M
  • Journal Title: Science Volume: 344 Issue: 6187 Pages: 1020-1023
  • DOI: 10.1126/science.1252514
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] GABAergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area receive dual GABA/enkephalin- mediated inhibitory inputs from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (2014)
  • Author(s): Kudo T, Konno K, Uchigashima M, Yanagawa Y, Sora I, Minami M, Watanabe M
  • Journal Title: Eur. J. Neurosci Volume: (in press) Issue: 11 Pages: 1796-1809
  • DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12503
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Chronic alterations in monoaminergic cells in the locus coeruleus in orexin neuron-ablated narcoleptic mice (2013)
  • Author(s): Tsujino N, Tsunematsu T,Uchigashima M, Konno K,Yamanaka A, Kobayashi K, Watanabe M, Koyama Y, Sakurai T
  • Journal Title: PLoS ONE Volume: 8 Issue: 7 Pages: e70012-e70012
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070012
  • NAID: 120005328803
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] CCK/VGluT3陽性バスケット細胞シナプスに特異的な2-アラキドノイルグリセロー ルシグナルを介したシナプス伝達修飾の分子形態基盤 (2014)
  • Author(s): 内ヶ島 基政、渡辺 雅彦
  • Organizer: 第37回日本神経科学大会
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜（神奈川県横浜市）
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-11 – 2014-09-13
• [Presentation] Nigrostriatal dopamine afferents form heterologous contacts with GABAergic postsynaptic molecules in the mouse striatum. (2014)
  • Author(s): Motokazu Uchigashima and Masahiko Watanabe
  • Organizer: 第119回日本解剖学会総会・全国学術集会
  • Place of Presentation: 自治医科大学（栃木県）
• [Presentation] マウス線条体におけるNeuroligin-3の免疫組織化学的分布 (2013)
  • Author(s): 内ヶ島基政、渡辺雅彦
  • Organizer: 第59回東北・北海道連合支部学術集会
  • Place of Presentation: 北海道大学（北海道）
• [Presentation] Dopamine synapses express postsynaptic molecules common to GABAergic synapses in the mouse striatum. (2013)
  • Author(s): Motokazu Uchigashima and Masahiko Watanabe
  • Organizer: 第36回日本神経科学大会
  • Place of Presentation: 国立京都国際会館（京都市）