, ,

, ,
*Department of Anesthesiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Department of Japan Science of Technology Agency, CREST, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
Noradrenaline has been shown to interact with the dopami-
nergic system and regulate psychomotor functions. In animal
models of Parkinsons disease, depletion of noradrenaline by
degeneration of noradrenergic neurons or genetic deletion of
dopamine b-hydroxylase potentiates the motor decits of
Parkinsons disease (Srinivasan and Schmidt 2003; Romm-
elfanger et al. 2007). These decits can be improved by
noradrenaline replacement (Rommelfanger et al. 2007),
indicating a critical role for noradrenaline in the motor
dysfunction of Parkinsons disease. Adrenoceptors are sub-
divided into three major classes by their differential coupling
to G-proteins. a
1
-Adrenoceptors (a
1A
, a
1B
, a
1D
), coupled to
G
q
, activate phospholipase C; a
2
-adrenoceptors (a
2A2C
),
coupled to G
i
, inhibit adenylyl cyclase (AC); and b-
adrenoceptors (b
13
), coupled to G
s/olf
, stimulate AC. It is
known that pre-synaptic a
2
-adrenoceptors negatively regu-
late dopamine release from dopaminergic terminals (Tren-
delenburg et al. 1994; Yavich et al. 1997; Gobert et al.
2004). It is likely that noradrenaline also modulates
Received January 17, 2010; revised manuscript received February 24,
2010; accepted February 24, 2010.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Akinori Nishi, M.D.,
Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of
Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan.
E-mail: nishia@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
Abbreviations used: AC, adenylyl cyclase; DARPP-32, dopamine- and
cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa; DSP-4, N-(2-chloroeth-
yl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydrochloride; IP, immunoprecipita-
tions; LC, locus coeruleus; PKA, protein kinase A; SDS, sodium dodecyl
sulfate.
Abstract
Studies in animal models of Parkinsons disease have re-
vealed that degeneration of noradrenaline neurons is involved
in the motor decits. Several types of adrenoceptors are
highly expressed in neostriatal neurons. However, the selec-
tive actions of these receptors on striatal signaling pathways
have not been characterized. In this study, we investigated the
role of adrenoceptors in the regulation of dopamine/dopa-
mine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa
(DARPP-32) signaling by analyzing DARPP-32 phosphoryla-
tion at Thr34 [protein kinase A (PKA)-site] in mouse neostri-
atal slices. Activation of b
1
-adrenoceptors induced a rapid and
transient increase in DARPP-32 phosphorylation. Activation of
a
2
-adrenoceptors also induced a rapid and transient increase
in DARPP-32 phosphorylation, which subsequently de-
creased below basal levels. In addition, activation of a
2
-
adrenoceptors attenuated, and blockade of a
2
-adrenoceptors
enhanced dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/DARPP-
32 signaling. Chemical lesioning of noradrenergic neurons
mimicked the effects of a
2
-adrenoceptor blockade. Under
conditions of a
2
-adrenoceptor blockade, the dopamine D
2
receptor-induced decrease in DARPP-32 phosphorylation
was attenuated. Our data demonstrate that b
1
- and a
2
-
adrenoceptors regulate DARPP-32 phosphorylation in neo-
striatal neurons. G
i
activation by a
2
-adrenoceptors antago-
nizes G
s
/PKA signaling mediated by D
1
and A
2A
receptors in
striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons, respectively, and
thereby enhances D
2
receptor/G
i
signaling in striatopallidal
neurons. a
2
-Adrenoceptors may therefore be a therapeutic
target for the treatment of Parkinsons disease.
Keywords: D
1
receptor, noradrenaline, phosphorylation,
striatum, a
2
-adrenoceptor.
J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY | 2010 | 113 | 10461059 doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06668.x
1046 Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
2010 The Authors
dopamine receptor signaling post-synaptically in medium
spiny neurons. However, information on the interaction
between noradrenaline and dopamine receptor signaling in
medium spiny neurons is limited.
Despite the functional importance of noradrenaline in
dopaminergic neurotransmission, the striatum receives only
sparse noradrenergic innervation (Swanson and Hartman
1975; Aston-Jones 2004). However, certain types of adreno-
ceptors, such as b
1
-, a
2A
-, and a
2C
-adrenoceptors are
expressed in the striatum (Nicholas et al. 1996; MacDonald
et al. 1997). b
1
-Adrenoceptors were found to be expressed in
medium spiny neurons by radioligand binding (Nahorski
et al. 1979; Waeber et al. 1991) and immunohistochemistry
(Pisani et al. 2003), and the loss of b
1
-adrenoceptors in the
striatum was reported in the late stages of Huntingtons
chorea (Waeber et al. 1991). a
2A
-Adrenoceptors are widely
distributed in the brain including the striatum (MacDonald
et al. 1997), and mediate the inhibition of monoamine
release and metabolism (Trendelenburg et al. 1994; Bucheler
et al. 2002; Ihalainen and Tanila 2004). Generally, they are
associated with functions, such as sedation, analgesia, and
hypotension (MacMillan et al. 1996; Lakhlani et al. 1997;
Altman et al. 1999; Philipp et al. 2002). In contrast, a
2C
-
adrenoceptors show a unique distribution pattern, and are
most abundantly expressed in the striatum, olfactory tuber-
cle, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex (Nicholas et al. 1996;
MacDonald et al. 1997; Winzer-Serhan et al. 1997; Holm-
berg et al. 1999). a
2C
-Adrenoceptors are expressed in
medium spiny neurons in the striatum (Holmberg et al.
1999), and are negatively coupled to AC via G
i
(Lu and
Ordway 1997; Zhang et al. 1999). a
2C
-Adrenoceptors are
also expressed in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia
nigra (Rosin et al. 1996; Lee et al. 1998) and possibly at
dopaminergic terminals in the striatum. Together with a
2A
-
adrenoceptors, they inhibit the release of dopamine (Bucheler
et al. 2002). In mice lacking a
2C
-adrenoceptors, amphet-
amine-induced locomotor activity, startle reactivity, and
aggressive behavior were enhanced, whereas pre-pulse
inhibition was attenuated (Sallinen et al. 1998a,b). Opposite
changes were reported in a
2C
-adrenoceptor over-expressing
mice (Sallinen et al. 1998a,b). Thus, a
2C
-adrenoceptors
likely play an inhibitory role in the regulation of motor and
emotional functions and a modulatory role in the processing
of sensory information (Scheinin et al. 2001).
Dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) is selectively enriched in medium spiny
neurons in the striatum, and plays an essential role in
dopaminergic neurotransmission (Greengard et al. 1999;
Svenningsson et al. 2004). Dopamine activates dopamine
D
1
receptors coupled to G
s/olf
, leading to an activation of
cAMP/ protein kinase A (PKA) signaling and the phosphor-
ylation of DARPP-32 at Thr34 (the PKA-site). When
DARPP-32 is phosphorylated on Thr34, it is converted into
a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatase-1, and thereby
controls the phosphorylation state and activity of many
downstream physiological effectors, including various neu-
rotransmitter receptors and voltage-gated ion channels
(Svenningsson et al. 2004). The state of DARPP-32 phos-
phorylation at Thr34 is also regulated by various other
signaling molecules, providing a mechanism for integrating
dopamine and other neurotransmitter signals.
Noradrenergic neurotransmission plays a critical role in
the regulation of motor function by interacting with dopa-
mine signaling, and noradrenaline replacement therapy has
been proposed as a treatment for Parkinsons disease
(Grimbergen et al. 2009). However, the molecular mecha-
nisms by which adrenoceptors regulate dopamine signaling
in the striatum have not been investigated. In this study, we
investigated the regulation of DARPP-32 phosphorylation by
b and a-adrenoceptors. We nd that activation of both types
of receptors affects the phosphorylation of DARPP-32 at
Thr34. Furthermore, activation of G
i
by a
2
-adrenoceptors
and subsequent inhibition of adenosine A
2A
receptor/G
s
/PKA
signaling are required for the actions of G
i
-coupled D
2
receptors in striatopallidal neurons.
Materials and methods
Preparation, incubation, and processing of neostriatal slices
Male C57BL/6 mice at 68 weeks old were purchased from Japan
SLC (Shizuoka, Japan). All mice used in this study were handled in
accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals as adopted and promulgated by the U.S. National Institutes
of Health. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of
Kurume University School of Medicine approved the specic
protocols. Male C57BL/6 mice were killed by decapitation. The
brains were rapidly removed and placed in ice-cold, oxygenated
Krebs-HCO
3
)
buffer (124 mM NaCl, 4 mM KCl, 26 mM NaHCO
3
,
1.5 mM CaCl
2
, 1.25 mM KH
2
PO
4
, 1.5 mM MgSO
4
, and 10 mM D-
glucose, pH 7.4). Coronal slices (350 lm) were prepared using a
vibrating blade microtome, VT1000S (Leica Microsystems, Nuss-
loch, Germany). Striata were dissected from the slices in ice-cold
Krebs-HCO
3
)
buffer. Each slice was placed in a polypropylene
incubation tube with 2 mL fresh Krebs-HCO
3
)
buffer containing
adenosine deaminase (10 lg/mL). The slices were pre-incubated at
30C under constant oxygenation with 95% O
2
/5% CO
2
for 60 min.
The buffer was replaced with fresh Krebs-HCO
3
)
buffer after
30 min of pre-incubation. Adenosine deaminase was included during
the rst 30 min of pre-incubation. Slices were treated with drugs as
specied in each experiment. Drugs were obtained fromthe following
sources: isoproterenol, propranolol, CGP20712A, ICI118551, ciraz-
oline, UK14304, yohimbine, nortriptyline, GR113808, SB258585,
SKF81297, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydro-
chloride (DSP-4) from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA);
CGS21680 from Tocris Cookson (Bristol, UK). After drug treatment,
slices were transferred to Eppendorf tubes, frozen on dry ice, and
stored at )80C until assayed.
Frozen tissue samples were sonicated in boiling 1% sodium
dodecyl sulfate (SDS) containing 50 mM sodium uoride and
boiled for an additional 10 min. Small aliquots of the homogenate
2010 The Authors
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
Role of adrenoceptors in neostriatal neurons | 1047
were retained for protein determination by the bicinchoninic acid
protein assay method (Pierce, Rockford, IL, USA). Equal amounts
of protein (100 lg) were separated by SDS/polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis (10% polyacrylamide gels), and transferred to
nitrocellulose membranes (0.2 lm; Schleicher and Schuell, Keene,
NH, USA).
Immunoprecipitations of Flag- and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 in
neostriatal slices from D
1
-DARPP-32-Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc
mice
D
1
-DARPP-32-Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc transgenic mice express
Flag- and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 under the control of dopamine D
1
and D
2
receptor promoters, respectively (Bateup et al. 2008). In the
striatum, Flag-tagged DARPP-32 was shown to be expressed
selectively in D
1
receptor-enriched striatonigral neurons, and Myc-
tagged DARPP-32 selectively in D
2
receptor-enriched striatopallidal
neurons. Using antibodies against Flag and Myc tags, we selectively
immunoprecipitated DARPP-32 from D
1
receptor- and D
2
receptor-
expressing neurons and analyzed the phosphorylation state of
DARPP-32 in a neuronal subtype-specic manner. In each exper-
iment, six striatal slices were prepared from one mouse, and were
divided into three treatment conditions. In each treatment condition,
six slices, collected from three mice (two slices from each mouse),
were used for the analysis of DARPP-32 phosphorylation. Six
striatal slices were sonicated in 720 lL of immunoprecipitation (IP)
lysis buffer [50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA,
1% Triton X-100, 1% SDS, 100 nM okadaic acid, phosphatase
inhibitor cocktail (#P5726; Sigma-Aldrich), and protease inhibitor
cocktail (#11873580001; Roche, Basel, Switzerland)]. After deter-
mination of protein concentration, 15 lg of protein was saved for
the analysis of DARPP-32 phosphorylation in total striatal homog-
enate, and the residual homogenates were used for IP. In each IP
from striatal homogenate, 50 lL of washed EZView Red anti-Flag
M2 afnity gel (Sigma-Aldrich) and 45 lL of anti-Myc antibody
(Novus Biologicals, Littleton, CO, USA) coupled to magnetic beads
(3 lg of Myc antibody for every 5 lL of magnetic beads)
(Dynabeads M-280 Tosylactivated; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA,
USA) were added. The homogenate/antibody mixture was gently
rotated overnight at 4C. Following the overnight incubation, the
Myc magnetic beads were separated from the homogenate/antibody
mixture using a magnetic particle concentrator (Invitrogen), and
then the Flag afnity gels were separated by centrifugation. The
Myc magnetic beads and Flag afnity gels were washed with 1
phosphate-buffered saline three times. After the nal wash, 30 lL of
sample buffer was added and the samples were boiled for 2 min.
Flag IP, Myc IP, and total striatal samples were loaded onto 4
12% polyacrylamide Bis-Tris gels (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA),
separated by electrophoresis, and transferred to nitrocellulose
membranes (0.2 lM; Schleicher and Schuell).
Lesioning of noradrenaline neurons
In some experiments, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzyl-
amine hydrochloride (DSP-4) was used to selectively lesion
noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) (Gesi et al.
2000; Rommelfanger et al. 2007). DSP-4 at a dose of 50 mg/kg or
saline (0.1 mL/10 g body weight) was injected intraperitoneally
(i.p.) to C57BL/6 mice. DSP-4 was dissolved in saline immediately
before injection and used within 2 min to avoid degradation. After
7 days of DSP-4 or saline injection, neostriatal slices were prepared
as described above and treated with SKF81297 or CGS21680.
Immunoblotting
The membranes were immunoblotted using a phosphorylation state-
specic antibody raised against DARPP-32 phospho-peptides:
phospho-Thr34, the site phosphorylated by PKA (mAb-23,
1 : 750 dilution; CC500, 1 : 5004000; Snyder et al. 1992). A
monoclonal antibody (C24-5a, 1 : 7500 dilution) generated against
DARPP-32 (Hemmings and Greengard 1986), which is not
phosphorylation state-specic, was used to determine the total
amount of DARPP-32. None of the experimental manipulations
used in this study altered the total amount of DARPP-32.
The membrane was incubated with a goat anti-mouse or rabbit
Alexa 680-linked IgG (1 : 5000 dilution; Molecular Probes,
Eugene, OR, USA) or a goat anti-mouse or rabbit IRDye
TM
800-
linked IgG (1 : 5000 dilution; ROCKLAND, Gilbertsville, PA,
USA). Fluorescence at infrared wavelengths was detected by the
Odyssey infrared imaging system (LI-COR, Lincoln, NE, USA),
and quantied using Odyssey software. In an individual experiment,
samples from control- and drug-treated slices were analyzed on the
same immunoblot. For each experiment, values obtained for slices
were calculated relative to values for the control or drug-treated
slices, as described in gure legends. Normalized data from multiple
experiments were averaged and statistical analysis was carried out as
described in the gure legends.
Immunohistochemistry
Under deep anesthesia induced with sodium pentobarbital, male
C57BL/6 mice at 68 weeks old were perfused rapidly through the
left ventricle with 50 mL of 4% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M
phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) at 23C. Serial coronal sections 50 lm
in thickness were cut with a vibrating microtome, VT1000S (Leica
Microsystems). Sections were processed for immunohistochemistry
with the use of the free-oating method as described (Nishi et al.
2008). Sections were incubated with a rabbit anti-b
1
-adrenoceptor
antibody (A-272; 1 : 500; Sigma), a rabbit anti-a
2C
-adrenoceptor
antibody (RA19064; 1 : 200 dilution; Neuromics, Edina, MN,
USA), and a mouse anti-DARPP-32 antibody (C24-5a; 1 : 20 000
dilution) at 20C for 7 days. Antibody binding was visualized with a
uorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated donkey anti-mouse IgG
(1 : 100; Jackson ImmunoResearch, West Grove, PA) and a
rhodamine red-conjugated donkey anti-rabbit IgG (1 : 100; Jackson
ImmunoResearch). Sections were mounted in Vectashield (Vector
Laboratories, Burlingame, CA, USA) and examined with a confocal
laser-scanning microscope, LSM 5 PASCAL (Zeiss, Oberkochen,
Germany).
Results
Effects of b-adrenergic agonists on DARPP-32 Thr34
phosphorylation in neostriatal slices
Treatment of neostriatal slices with a non-selective b-
adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (10 lM), rapidly and
transiently increased DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation
(Fig. 1a). Isoproterenol increased the level of phospho-
Thr34 DARPP-32 by fourfold within 1 min of incubation,
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
2010 The Authors
1048 | M. Hara et al.
and the increased level of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32
subsequently returned to basal values at 10 min. The
stimulatory effect of isoproterenol on DARPP-32 Thr34
phosphorylation was attenuated by a non-selective b-adren-
ergic antagonist, propranolol (10 lM) (Fig. 1b), although
propranolol itself did not affect the level of phospho-Thr34
(a)
(b)
(d)
(c)
Fig. 1 Effect of a b-adrenergic agonist on dopamine- and cAMP-
regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) Thr34 phos-
phorylation in neostriatal slices. (a) Neostriatal slices were treated with
a non-selective b-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (10 lM), for the
indicated times. Typical immunoblots for detection of phospho-Thr34
DARPP-32 and total DARPP-32 in the same membrane are shown at
the left of panel. (b and c) Neostriatal slices were pre-treated for
10 min with (b) a non-selective b-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol
(10 lM), or a dopamine D
1
receptor antagonist, SCH23390 (1 lM), or
(c) a b
1
-adrenergic antagonist, CGP20712A (10 lM), or a b
2
-adren-
ergic antagonist, ICI118551 (10 lM), followed by the addition of
isoproterenol (10 lM) for 1 min. (d) Neostriatal slices from D
1
-DARPP-
32-Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc mice were incubated with isoproterenol
(Iso; 10 lM) for 1 min. Flag-tagged DARPP-32, expressed in D
1
receptor-enriched striatonigral neurons, and Myc-tagged DARPP-32,
expressed in D
2
receptor-enriched striatopallidal neurons, were im-
munoprecipitated. The panel shows data from total striatal homoge-
nate (Homog), Flag-tagged DARPP-32 in striatonigral neurons (D
1
-
Flag) and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 in striatopallidal neurons (D
2
-Myc).
Typical immunoblots for detection of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 and
total DARPP-32 in the same membrane are shown at the left of panel.
The levels of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 were quantied by the
Odyssey infrared imaging system, and the data were normalized to
values obtained with untreated slices. Data represent means SEM
for 412 experiments. **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 compared with un-
treated slices; p < 0.05, p < 0.001 compared with isoproterenol
alone; p < 0.001 compared with SCH23390 alone; p < 0.05
compared with ICI118551 alone; one-way ANOVA followed by New-
manKeuls test.
2010 The Authors
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
Role of adrenoceptors in neostriatal neurons | 1049
DARPP-32. To rule out the possibility that isoproterenol
increases DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation by activating
dopamine D
1
receptors (Vanderheyden et al. 1986), the
effect of isoproterenol was examined in the presence of a
dopamine D
1
receptor antagonist, SCH23390 (1 lM). Pre-
treatment with SCH23390 did not affect the stimulatory
effect of isoproterenol on DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation.
To determine the subtype of b-adrenoceptors involved in
DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation, neostriatal slices were
pre-treated with a b
1
-adrenergic antagonist, CGP20712A
(10 lM), or a b
2
-adrenergic antagonist, ICI118551 (10 lM).
Pre-treatment with CGP20712A, but not ICI118551, atten-
uated the isoproterenol-induced increase in DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation (Fig. 1c), suggesting that activation
of b
1
-adrenoceptors induces the phosphorylation of DARPP-
32 at Thr34 in neostriatal neurons.
We next examined whether activation of b
1
-adreno-
ceptors increases DARPP-32 phosphorylation in D
1
recep-
tor-enriched striatonigral and/or D
2
receptor-enriched
striatopallidal neurons, using neostriatal slices from D
1
-
DARPP-32-Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc transgenic mice (Ba-
teup et al. 2008). Flag- and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 were
immunoprecipitated from striatonigral and striatopallidal
neurons, respectively, and the phosphorylation state of
DARPP-32 at Thr34 in the two types of neurons was
analyzed. Treatment of neostriatal slices with isoproterenol
(10 lM) for 1 min increased the level of phospho-Thr34
DARPP-32 by approximately twofold in total striatal
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
Fig. 2 Effect of a
1
-adrenergic and a
2
-adrenergic agonists on dopa-
mine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32)
Thr34 phosphorylation in neostriatal slices. (a) Neostriatal slices were
treated with a selective a
1
-adrenergic agonist, cirazoline (1 lM), for
the indicated times. (b) Neostriatal slices were treated with a selective
a
2
-adrenergic agonist, UK14304 (1 lM), for the indicated times. (c)
Neostriatal slices were pre-treated with a selective a
2
-adrenergic
antagonist, yohimbine (1 lM), for 15 min, followed by the addition of
UK14304 (1 lM) for 1 min. (d) Neostriatal slices from D
1
-DARPP-32-
Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc mice were incubated with UK14304 (10 lM)
for 30 s. Flag-tagged DARPP-32 and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 were
immunoprecipitated. The panel shows data from total striatal homog-
enate (Homog), Flag-tagged DARPP-32 in striatonigral neurons (D
1
-
Flag) and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 in striatopallidal neurons (D
2
-Myc).
The levels of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 were quantied by the
Odyssey infrared imaging system, and the data were normalized to
values obtained with untreated slices. Data represent means SEM
for four to nine experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001
compared with untreated slices; p < 0.05 compared with UK14304
alone; one-way ANOVA followed by NewmanKeuls test.
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
2010 The Authors
1050 | M. Hara et al.
homogenates (Fig. 1d). Isoproterenol increased the phos-
phorylation of both Flag- and Myc-tagged DARPP-32 at
Thr34 by twofold, suggesting that isoproterenol activates
the b
1
-adrenoceptor signaling cascades both in striatonigral
and striatopallidal neurons. The results are consistent with
immunohistochemical data, demonstrating that b
1
-adreno-
ceptors are expressed in all DARPP-32-positive striatal
neurons (Fig. 3a).
Effects of a
1
- and a
2
-adrenergic agonists on DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation in neostriatal slices
The role of a-adrenoceptors in the regulation of DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation was examined in neostriatal slices.
Treatment with a selective a1-adrenergic agonist, cirazoline
(1 lM), did not affect the level of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-
32 by 5 min of incubation (Fig. 2a). However, treatment
with a selective a
2
-adrenergic agonist, UK14304 (1 lM),
increased DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation by 2.5-fold
within 1 min of incubation, and the increased level of
phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 returned to basal values at
5 min (Fig. 2b). After 20 min of incubation with UK14304,
the level of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 decreased slightly
below basal values (81.0 6.7% of control; p < 0.05 with
Students t-test, but not signicant with one-way ANOVA
followed by NewmanKeuls test). The rapid and transient
increase in DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation induced by
UK14304 was antagonized by an a
2
-adrenergic antagonist,
yohimbine (1 lM) (Fig. 2c). Immunohistochemical data
showed that a
2C
-adrenoceptors, the predominant subtype of
a
2
-adrenoceptors in the striatum, were expressed in all
DARPP-32-positive neurons (Fig. 3b).
We next examined whether UK14304 induces DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation selectively in striatonigral or striato-
pallidal neurons or both types of neurons. In neostriatal slices
from D
1
-DARPP-32-Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc mice, treat-
ment with UK14304 signicantly increased the level of
phopho-Thr34 DARPP-32 in total striatal homogenate, but
the magnitude of the increase was less than that in C57BL/6
mice possibly because of strain differences. The rapid
increase in DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation induced by
UK14304 was detected selectively in striatonigral but not
striatopallidal neurons (Fig. 2d). These results demonstrate a
cell-type specic effect of a
2
-adrenoceptors in the striatum,
although a
2C
-adrenoceptors are present in all medium spiny
neurons.
Interaction of a
2
-adrenoceptor signaling with dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor signaling
We next examined whether a
2
-adrenoceptors could modulate
G
olf
/PKA/DARPP-32 signaling activated by dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptors. Pre-treatment with the a
2
-
adrenergic antagonist, yohimbine (10 lM), did not affect the
basal level of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32. However, yohim-
bine enhanced the increase in DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphor-
ylation induced by SKF81297 (1 lM) (Fig. 4a) or
CGS21680 (5 lM) (Fig. 4b), suggesting that tonic activity
of a
2
-adrenoceptors inhibits dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/PKA/DARPP-32 signaling in neostriatal neurons.
To test this, we treated striatal slices with the a
2
-adrenergic
agonist, UK14304 (1 lM for 20 min), which did not
signicantly affect the basal levels of phospho-Thr34
DARPP-32 in this series of experiments. As expected from
antagonist experiments, UK14304 reduced the increase in
DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation induced by SKF81297
(1 lM) (Fig. 4c) or CGS21680 (5 lM) (Fig. 4d). These
results suggest that a
2
-adrenoceptors negatively interact with
dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/PKA/DARPP-32
signaling.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 3 Expression of b
1
- and a
2C
-adreno-
ceptors in the striatum. Double immuno-
staining of striatal tissues with (a)
dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phospho-
protein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) and b
1
-
adrenoceptor antibodies and (b) DARPP-32
and a
2C
-adrenoceptor antibodies. The
expression of b
1
- and a
2C
-adrenoceptors
was detected in many DARPP-32-positive
neurons, suggesting their expression both
in striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons.
In agreement with Pisani et al. (2003), the
expression of b
1
-adrenoceptors was also
detected in DARPP-32-negative, large-
sized neurons (a; arrows), presumably
cholinergic interneurons. Scale bars,
10 lm.
2010 The Authors
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
Role of adrenoceptors in neostriatal neurons | 1051
We also examined the role of b-adrenoceptors in dopamine
D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor signaling. Pre-treatment with
the b-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol (10 lM), did not
affect the SKF81297 (1 lM)-induced or CGS21680 (5 lM)-
induced increase in DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation (data
not shown).
Interaction of a
2
-adrenoceptor signaling with dopamine D
2
receptor signaling
We next examined whether a
2
-adrenoceptors also play a role
in dopamine D
2
receptor signaling. Treatment of slices with a
dopamine D
2
receptor agonist, quinpirole (1 lM), decreased
the level of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32, as previously
reported (Nishi et al. 1997). Pre-treatment with yohimbine
(10 lM) attenuated the decrease in DARPP-32 Thr34
phosphorylation induced by quinpirole (Fig. 5), suggesting
that activity of a
2
-adrenoceptors is required for the action of
dopamine D
2
receptor to down-regulate DARPP-32 phos-
phorylation in neostriatal neurons.
Effect of nortriptyline on DARPP-32 Thr34
phosphorylation in neostriatal slices
The expression of dopamine b-hydroxylase and noradrena-
line transporters are reported to be low in the striatum
(Swanson and Hartman 1975; Berridge et al. 1997; Moll
et al. 2000; Moron et al. 2002; Arai et al. 2008), and
therefore the striatum is thought to receive a sparse
noradrenergic innervation. To determine whether the release
and reuptake machinery of noradrenaline at noradrenergic
terminals is functioning in the striatum, we examined the
effect of nortriptyline on DARPP-32 phosphorylation. Nor-
triptyline inhibits the noradrenaline transporter with high
potency (K
i
3.4 nM) and the serotonin transporter with low
potency (K
i
161 nM), but does not affect the dopamine
transporter (K
i
13 920 nM; Torres et al. 2003). Treatment of
neostriatal slices with nortriptyline (100 nM) increased the
level of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 by vefold within 30 s
of incubation, and the increased level of phospho-Thr34
DARPP-32 returned to basal values at 2 min (Fig. 6a).
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
Fig. 4 Effect of a
2
-adrenoceptor blockade and activation on dopamine
D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/protein kinase A/dopamine- and
cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) signaling
in neostriatal slices. (a and b) Neostriatal slices were pre-treated with
an a
2
-adrenergic antagonist, yohimbine (10 lM for 15 min), followed
by the addition of (a) a dopamine D
1
receptor agonist, SKF81297
(1 lM for 5 min), or (b) an adenosine A
2A
receptor agonist, CGS21680
(5 lM for 2 min). (c and d) Neostriatal slices were pre-treated with an
a
2
-adrenergic agonist, UK14304 (1 lM for 20 min), followed by the
addition of (c) a dopamine D
1
receptor agonist, SKF81297 (1 lM for
5 min), or (d) an adenosine A
2A
receptor agonist, CGS21680 (5 lM for
2 min). The levels of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 were quantied by
the Odyssey infrared imaging system, and the data were normalized to
values obtained with untreated slices. Data represent means SEM
for four experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 compared
with untreated slices; p < 0.05, p < 0.01 compared with SKF81297
or CGS21680 alone; one-way ANOVA followed by NewmanKeuls
test.
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
2010 The Authors
1052 | M. Hara et al.
The nortriptyline-induced increase in DARPP-32 Thr34
phosphorylation was partially but signicantly antagonized
by CGP20712A (10 lM) plus yohimbine (1 lM) (Fig. 6b);
however, the antagonizing effect of either compound was not
signicant when slices were pre-incubated with CGP20712A
or yohimbine alone (data not shown). We also examined the
effect of serotonergic antagonists for 5-HT
4
and 5-HT
6
receptors, which were reported to be the serotonin receptor
subtypes coupled to G
s/olf
/cAMP/PKA signaling in the
striatum (Svenningsson et al. 2002). Treatment with a 5-
HT
4
receptor antagonist, GR113808 (10 lM), plus a 5-HT
6
receptor antagonist, SB258585 (10 lM), also partially
attenuated the nortriptyline-induced increase in DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation (Fig. 6c). Pre-treatment with a dopa-
mine D
1
receptor antagonist, SCH23390 (1 lM), did not
attenuate the effect of nortriptyline (data not shown).
Taken together, these data reveal a signicant contribution
of striatal noradrenaline release to DARPP-32 T34 phosphor-
ylation in medium spiny neurons. Since we also observed an
attenuation of the nortriptyline effect by blocking serotonin
receptors, it is likely that nortriptyline inhibited both
noradrenaline and serotonin transporters in neostriatal slices,
leading to increased extracellular noradrenaline and
serotonin. Thus, nortriptyline increases phosphorylation of
DARPP-32 via activation of b
1
- and a
2
-adrenoceptors and
serotonin 5-HT
4
and 5-HT
6
receptors.
Dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor signaling in
neostriatal slices from DSP-4-lesioned mice
After determining that blockade of noradrenaline uptake in
striatal slices affected DARPP-32 phosphorylation, we
investigated whether depletion of noradrenaline in vivo had
an effect on D
1
or A
2A
receptor-mediated phosphorylation of
DARPP-32. We injected mice with DSP-4 to selectively
lesion noradrenergic neurons of the LC. The expression
levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in the LC, determined by
western blotting, decreased to 45.7 2.9% of control (saline-
treated mice; p < 0.05; Students t-test) after 7 days of DSP-
4 administration, but the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in the
striatum were not affected (103.5 5.2% of control),
indicating that DSP-4 selectively lesions noradrenergic
neurons in the LC without lesioning dopaminergic neurons
in the substantia nigra.
(a) (b) (c)
Fig. 6 Effect of nortriptyline on dopamine- and cAMP-regulated
phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) Thr34 phosphorylation in
neostriatal slices. (a) Neostriatal slices were treated with nortriptyline
(100 nM), an inhibitor of monoamine transporters relatively selective
for noradrenaline transporters, for the indicated times. (b and c)
Neostriatal slices were pre-incubated for 10 min with (b) CGP20712A
(10 lM) plus yohimbine (1 lM) or (c) a 5-HT
4
receptor antagonist,
GR113808 (10 lM) plus a 5-HT
6
receptor antagonist, SB258585
(10 lM), followed by the addition of nortriptyline (100 nM) for 30 s.
The levels of phospho-Thr34 DARPP-32 were quantied by the
Odyssey infrared imaging system, and the data were normalized to
values obtained with untreated slices. Data represent means SEM
for four to six experiments. **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 compared with
untreated slices; p < 0.05 compared with nortriptyline alone;
p < 0.05 compared with CGP20712A plus yohimbine; one-way ANOVA
followed by NewmanKeuls test.
Fig. 5 Effect of a
2
-adrenoceptor blockade on dopamine D
2
receptor/
protein kinase A/dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) signaling in neostriatal slices. Neostriatal slices
were pre-treated with an a
2
-adrenergic antagonist, yohimbine (10 lM
for 10 min), followed by the addition of a dopamine D
2
receptor ago-
nist, quinpirole (1 lM for 10 min). The levels of phospho-Thr34
DARPP-32 were quantied by the Odyssey infrared imaging system,
and the data were normalized to values obtained with untreated slices.
Data represent means SEM for six to nine experiments.
***p < 0.001 compared with untreated slices; p < 0.001 compared
with quinpirole alone; one-way ANOVA followed by NewmanKeuls test.
2010 The Authors
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
Role of adrenoceptors in neostriatal neurons | 1053
We examined the effect of dopamine D
1
and adenosine
A
2A
receptor agonists on DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation
in neostriatal slices from saline- or DSP-4-treated mice.
Treatment of slices with SKF81297 (1 lM) increased
DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation threefold from 5 to
15 min of incubation in saline-treated mice (p < 0.001
compared with untreated slices; one-way ANOVA followed
by NewmanKeuls test; Fig. 7a). In slices from DSP-4-
treated mice, the SKF81297-induced increase in DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation was signicantly higher than that in
slices from saline-treated mice at 10 and 15 min of
incubation (p < 0.05; two-way ANOVA followed by Bonfer-
roni test).
Treatment of slices with CGS21680 (1 lM) increased
DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation threefold from 30 s to
2 min of incubation in saline-treated mice (p < 0.01 com-
pared with untreated slices; one-way ANOVA followed by
NewmanKeuls test; Fig. 7b). In slices from DSP-4-treated
mice, the CGS21680-induced increase in DARPP-32 Thr34
phosphorylation was signicantly greater than that in slices
from saline-treated mice at 1 min of incubation (p < 0.01;
two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test). We also
examined the effect of DSP-4-lesioning on dopamine D
2
receptor signaling. Treatment with quinpirole (10 nM1 lM
for 10 min) decreased DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation
similarly in slices from saline- and DSP-4-treated mice. The
ndings demonstrate that the chemical lesioning of norad-
renergic neurons by DSP-4 results in the enhancement of
dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/PKA/DARPP-32
signaling in striatal neurons.
Discussion
We have demonstrated that b
1
- and a
2
-adrenoceptors regulate
PKA/DARPP-32 signaling in the striatum (see Fig. 8).
Dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor signaling was
attenuated by prolonged activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors,
whereas it was enhanced by pharmacological blockade of
a
2
-adrenoceptors and chemical lesioning of noradrenergic
neurons in the LC. This indicates that a
2
-adrenoceptors,
coupled to G
i
, are tonically active and counteract G
s/olf
-
coupled dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor signaling
in striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons, respectively. The
tonic activity of G
i
-coupled a
2
-adrenoceptors is also required
for the action of dopamine D
2
receptors, another G
i
-coupled
receptor expressed in striatopallidal neurons. Thus, a
2
-
adrenoceptors induce two distinct effects on dopamine
signaling: inhibition of dopamine D
1
receptor signaling in
striatonigral neurons and enhancement of dopamine D
2
receptor signaling in striatopallidal neurons. Such functional
features of a
2
-aderenoceptors suggest that a
2
-aderenoceptors
could be a target of therapeutic drugs for Parkinsons disease.
Noradrenergic innervation and the release of noradrenaline
in the striatum
Despite the functional importance of noradrenaline in
dopaminergic neurotransmission, striatum receives only
sparse noradrenergic innervation (Swanson and Hartman
1975; Aston-Jones 2004). However, the presence of nor-
adrenaline at the extracellular spaces in the striatum was
demonstrated by microdialysis studies (Cenci et al. 1992; Li
et al. 1998; Dawson et al. 2000; Gobert et al. 2004), and the
synthesis of noradrenaline from dopamine in striatal tissues
was detected in vitro (Udenfriend and Creveling 1959; Ross
and Reis 1974) and in vivo (McGeer et al. 1963), suggesting
the presence of dopamine b-hydroxylase activity in the
striatum. Furthermore, the presence of noradrenaline trans-
porter in the striatum was reported (Moll et al. 2000; Moron
et al. 2002; Arai et al. 2008). Recently, Gobert et al. (2004)
demonstrated that noradrenaline in the striatum was derived
from noradrenergic terminals and its release was subject to
inhibitory control by a
2
-adrenoceptors. It is also possible that
noradrenaline may be synthesized by dopamine b-hydroxy-
lase expressed in striatal cells other than noradrenergic
terminals. We found that the relatively selective noradrena-
line transporter inhibitor, nortriptyline, increased DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation via activation of adrenergic as well as
serotonergic receptors in neostriatal slices, indicating the
presence of functional noradrenergic terminals in the stria-
tum. This nding is supported by the fact that the lesioning
of noradrenergic neurons by DSP-4 enhanced striatal dopa-
mine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/PKA/DARPP-32
(a) (b)
Fig. 7 Dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/protein kinase A/
dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DAR-
PP-32) signaling in neostriatal slices from saline- and DSP-4-treated
mice. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with saline or DSP-4, and
neostriatal slices were prepared from the mice after 7 days of injec-
tion. Neostriatal slices from saline (closed circles)- or DSP-4 (open
circles)-treated mice were treated with (a) a dopamine D
1
receptor
agonist, SKF81297 (1 lM), or (b) an adenosine A
2A
receptor agonist,
CGS21680 (1 lM), for the indicated times. The levels of phospho-
Thr34 DARPP-32 were quantied by the Odyssey infrared imaging
system, and the data were normalized to values obtained from un-
treated slices in saline-treated mice. Data represent means SEM for
six to eight experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared with values in
saline-treated mice; two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test.
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
2010 The Authors
1054 | M. Hara et al.
signaling. Taken together, the presence of noradrenergic
terminals in the striatum is supported by neuropharmacolog-
ical and biochemical data, although contradictory data have
also been reported (Versteeg et al. 1976; Oke et al. 1978).
Functional roles of b
1
-adrenoceptors in the striatum
b
1
-Adrenoceptors are highly expressed in striatal neurons,
including cholinergic interneurons (Nahorski et al. 1979;
Pazos et al. 1985; Pisani et al. 2003). Immunohistochemical
analysis revealed the expression of b
1
-adrenoceptors both in
striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons. Activation of b
1
-
adrenoceptors, but not of b
2
-adrenoceptors, by isoproterenol
induced the up-regulation of cAMP/PKA signaling, leading
to the phosphorylation of DARPP-32 at Thr34 in the two
types of striatal medium spiny neurons. The isoproterenol-
induced phosphorylation of DARPP-32 at Thr34 was not
because of the release of dopamine and subsequent activation
of D
1
receptors (Reisine et al. 1982) or the cross activation of
D
1
receptors by isoproterenol (Vanderheyden et al. 1986),
since the effect of isoproterenol was not antagonized by the
dopamine D
1
receptor antagonist. Under physiological
conditions in vivo, b
1
-adrenoceptors might be activated by
noradrenaline released from noradrenergic terminals and/or
by physically released dopamine, resulting in increased
excitability of both striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons
because of activation of PKA/DARPP-32 signaling. Such
changes in the activity of the basal ganglia circuit may play a
role in psychomotor functions. The b-adrenergic antagonist,
propranolol, has been used for the treatment of essential
tremor and anxiety disorders (Emilien and Maloteaux 1998;
Pahwa and Lyons 2003), although the mechanisms underly-
ing its therapeutic effect are not understood. Whether the
effects of b
1
-adrenoceptors on DARPP-32 phosphorylation
in the two types of striatal neurons presented here relates to
the pathophysiology of essential tremor or anxiety disorders
remains to be determined.
Functional roles of a
2
-adrenoceptors in the striatum
Activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors by UK14304 attenuated the
dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor-induced increase
in DARPP-32 Thr34 phosphorylation in striatal neurons. Our
previous studies using striatal slices from D
1
-DARPP-32-
cAMP
P-T34 DARPP-32
PP-1
DARPP-32
PKA
AC
Gi
Dopaminergic
terminal
DA release
A
2A
D
2
Striatopallidal neuron
(D2-type/indirect pathway)
D1
Striatonigral neuron
(D1-type/direct pathway)
cAMP
P-T34 DARPP-32
PP-1
DARPP-32
PKA
AC Gi
Golf
Gi
Gi
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Golf
NA acting on 2A/CR:
DA release
DA acting on D2R: motor function
NA acting on 2A/CR: A2AR function
DA acting on D1R: motor function
NA acting on 2A/CR: D1R function

Golf
Golf
NA NA
NA acting on 2A/CR: D2R function

Fig. 8 Interaction of b
1
- and a
2A/C
-adrenoceptor signaling with
dopamine D
1
and D
2
receptor signaling in the striatum. b
1
- and a
2A/C
-
adrenoceptors regulate protein kinase A (PKA)/dopamine- and cAMP-
regulated phosphoprotein of M
r
32 kDa (DARPP-32) signaling both in
striatopallidal and striatonigral neurons, in addition to the inhibitory
regulation of dopamine (DA) release by a
2A/C
-adrenoceptors. In stri-
atopallidal neurons, activation of a
2A/C
-adrenoceptors, coupled to G
i
,
inhibits adenosine A
2A
receptor/G
s/olf
/adenylyl cyclase (AC)/PKA/
DARPP-32 signaling, and therefore enhances dopamine D
2
receptor/
G
i
signaling. In striatonigral neurons, activation of a
2A/C
-adrenoceptors
inhibits dopamine D
1
receptor/G
s/olf
/AC/PKA/DARPP-32 signaling.
Thus, a
2A/C
-adrenoceptors differentially regulate dopamine signaling in
two pathways, and activation of a
2A/C
-adrenoceptors by noradrenaline
(NA) is required for dopamine to elicit its regulatory role in motor
function via D
2
receptors.
2010 The Authors
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
Role of adrenoceptors in neostriatal neurons | 1055
Flag/D
2
-DARPP-32-Myc mice (Bateup et al. 2008; Kuroiwa
et al. 2008) demonstrated that activation of dopamine D
1
and
adenosine A
2A
receptors selectively stimulates DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation in striatonigral and striatopallidal
neurons, respectively. Taken together, these ndings indicate
that activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors inhibits PKA/DARPP-32
signaling in both types of striatal neurons.
Pharmacological blockade of a
2
-adrenoceptors and chem-
ical lesioning of noradrenergic neurons induced the enhance-
ment of dopamine D
1
and adenosine A
2A
receptor/PKA/
DARPP-32 signaling, indicating that a
2
-adrenoceptors are
activated under basal conditions and tonically inhibit PKA/
DARPP-32 signaling in both striatopallidal and striatonigral
neurons. It has been demonstrated that a
2
-adrenoceptors,
specically a
2C
-subtype adrenoceptors, are negatively cou-
pled to AC in the striatum using mice with infusion of
antisense oligonucleotides against a
2C
-adrenoceptor mRNA
(Lu and Ordway 1997) and with targeted inactivation of the
a
2C
-adrenoceptor gene (Zhang et al. 1999). The possibility
that dopamine is the endogenous activator of a
2
-adrenocep-
tors in the striatum has been proposed (Zhang et al. 1999),
because of the sparse noradrenergic innervation. However,
the data presented here suggest that a
2
-adrenoceptors are
tonically activated by noradrenaline, because lesioning of
noradrenergic neurons with DSP-4 mimics the effect of a
2
-
adrenoceptor antagonism.
In behavioral studies, it has been shown that amphet-
amine-induced locomotor activity is enhanced in mice
lacking a
2C
-adrenoceptors, whereas the opposite change is
observed in mice over-expressing a
2C
-adrenoceptors (Salli-
nen et al. 1998b). Thus, a
2C
-adrenoceptors likely play an
inhibitory role in the regulation of motor function under
conditions of high dopamine tone (Scheinin et al. 2001). Our
biochemical data demonstrate that activation of a
2
-adreno-
ceptors induces (i) down-regulation of dopamine D
1
receptor/
PKA signaling in striatonigral neurons, (ii) down-regulation
of adenosine A
2A
receptor/PKA signaling in striatopallidal
neurons, and (iii) up-regulation of dopamine D
2
receptor
signaling in striatopallidal neurons (Fig. 8). The role of a
2C
-
adrenoceptors in amphetamine-induced locomotor activity
can be explained by the modulation of dopamine D
1
receptor/PKA signaling in striatonigral neurons. Removal
of the inhibitory effect of a
2C
-adrenoceptors on dopamine D
1
receptor/PKA signaling and the subsequent activation of
striatonigral neurons presumably results in the enhancement
of amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. If a
2C
-adreno-
ceptors were predominantly to affect striatopallidal neurons,
then removal of the modulatory effect of a
2C
-adrenoceptors
on striatopallidal neurons would induce activation of aden-
osine A
2A
receptor/PKA signaling and inhibition of dopa-
mine D
2
receptor signaling, resulting in the activation of
striatopallidal neurons and an attenuation of amphetamine-
induced locomotor activity. Thus, when dopamine tone is
high, the inhibitory role of a
2C
-adrenoceptors might be
important to suppress the over-activation of dopamine D
1
receptor/PKA signaling in striatonigral neurons. However,
the role of a
2C
-adrenoceptors observed under conditions of
amphetamine-induced high dopamine tone seems to be
different from that under conditions of low dopamine tone
in Parkinsons disease, as described below.
At early time points (30 s and 1 min), activation of a
2
-
adrenoceptors induced a transient increase in DARPP-32
Thr34 phosphorylation selectively in striatonigral neurons.
The effect was not mediated through activation of dopa-
mine D
1
receptors in striatonigral neurons by released
dopamine, because a dopamine D
1
receptor antagonist,
SCH23390, failed to block the effect of a
2
-adrenoceptor
activation (data not shown) and a
2
-adrenoceptors are known
to pre-synaptically inhibit dopamine release in the striatum
(Bucheler et al. 2002). Activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors has
been reported to induce the release of GABA (Zhang and
Ordway 2003) and phospholipase C-mediated activation of
PKA (Karkoulias et al. 2007), both of which may result in
the phosphorylation of DARPP-32 at Thr34 (Snyder et al.
1994). It is not clear why activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors
induces DARPP-32 phosphorylation selectively in striato-
nigral neurons, since a
2C
-adrenoceptors are expressed in
both striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons. It is possible
that transient activation of dopamine D
2
receptors counter-
acts the a
2C
-adrenoceptor-induced phosphorylation of DAR-
PP-32 in striatopallidal neurons, although this is just
speculation and requires further study. However, mecha-
nisms for the activation of PKA/DARPP-32 signaling
selectively in striatonigral neurons were not further inves-
tigated, because the a
2
-adrenoceptor-induced phosphoryla-
tion of DARPP-32 at early time points was relatively small
and transient, and the physiological signicance of this
phenomenon is not clear.
Role of a
2
-adrenoceptors in Parkinsons disease
In animal models of Parkinsons disease, the degeneration of
noradrenaline neurons in addition to dopamine neurons is
involved in motor decits of Parkinsons disease (Srinivasan
and Schmidt 2003; Rommelfanger et al. 2007), and the
symptoms of Parkinsons disease are improved by restora-
tion of noradrenaline (Rommelfanger et al. 2007). In
addition, in reserpine-induced akinesia, administration of
L-DOPA improves akinesia, and the effect of L-DOPA is
reported to be mediated in part by the synthesis of
noradrenaline and activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors (Dolphin
et al. 1976a,b). These results indicate that noradrenaline
plays a critical role in the regulation of motor functions
by interacting with dopamine signaling pathways in the
striatum.
a
2
-Adrenoceptors expressed in striatopallidal neurons
likely play a therapeutic role in Parkinsons disease. Here,
we nd that activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors in striatopallidal
neurons induces down-regulation of adenosine A
2A
receptor/
Journal Compilation 2010 International Society for Neurochemistry, J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 10461059
2010 The Authors
1056 | M. Hara et al.
PKA signaling and up-regulation of dopamine D
2
receptor
signaling (Fig. 8). These modulatory effects of a
2
-adreno-
ceptors potentiate the action of dopamine through dopamine
D
2
receptors, which likely improves the symptoms of
Parkinsons disease. Indeed, it has been shown that clonidine,
an a2-adrenoceptor agonist, itself increases locomotor activ-
ity (Hill and Brotchie 1999), and enhances locomotor activity
induced by dopamine receptor agonists (Pycock et al. 1977),
muscarinic receptor antagonists (Carlsson et al. 1991), and a
j-opioid receptor agonist (Hill and Brotchie 1999) in
monoamine-depleted animals.
Interestingly, a
2
-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as idazo-
xan are also reported to have antiparkinsonian effects and
attenuate L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (Grondin et al.
2000; Srinivasan and Schmidt 2004; Fornai et al. 2007).
a
2
-Adrenoceptor antagonists have been demonstrated to
enhance the release of noradrenaline by blocking pre-
synaptic a
2
-adrenoceptors (Dennis et al. 1987). The
increase in noradrenergic neurotransmission likely results
in the potentiation of dopaminergic signaling (Dickinson
et al. 1988; Mavridis et al. 1991), thereby inducing anti-
parkinsonian effects. Both the inhibition of pre-synaptic
a
2
-adrenoceptors, which activates noradrenergic neurotrans-
mission, and the stimulation of post-synaptic a
2
-adreno-
ceptors could be a useful therapeutic approaches for the
treatment of Parkinsons disease. The therapeutic potential
of either a
2
-adrenergic antagonists or agonists may be
determined by the stage of Parkinsons disease. When
noradrenergic innervation is conserved in early stages, the
a
2
-adrenoceptor antagonist is expected to improve the
symptoms of Parkinsons disease, whereas the a
2
-adreno-
ceptor agonist may be useful in late stages. Indirect and
direct activation of a
2
-adrenoceptors by a
2
-adrenoceptor
antagonists and agonists, respectively, likely potentiates
dopamine D
2
receptor signaling in striatopallidal neurons
and inhibits dopamine D
1
receptor signaling in striatonigral
neurons. The modulation of dopaminergic signaling by a
2
-
adrenoceptor activation may improve the symptoms of
Parkinsons disease and prevent the development of L-
DOPA-induced dyskinesia (Santini et al. 2009). The long-
term effects of a
2
-adrenoceptor antagonists and/or agonists
in various stages of Parkinsons disease need to be
claried.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientic
Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
(18300128 to A.N.) and grants from the U.S.P.H.S. (MH074866
and DA10044 to PG), the Michael Stern Parkinsons Research
Foundation (to PG) and the Department of Defense (DOD/
USAMRAA W81XWH-09-1-402 to PG). The authors thank
Yukako Terasaki, Keiko Fujisaki and Michiko Koga for excellent
technical assistance.
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