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Marcus Davidsson

Marcus Davidsson

Postdoctoral fellow

Marcus Davidsson

Chemogenetic modulation of cholinergic interneurons reveals their regulating role on the direct and indirect output pathways from the striatum

Author

  • Patrick Aldrin-Kirk
  • Andreas Heuer
  • Daniella Ottosson
  • Marcus Davidsson
  • Bengt Mattsson
  • Tomas Björklund

Summary, in English

The intricate balance between dopaminergic and cholinergic neurotransmission in the striatum has been thoroughly difficult to characterize. It was initially described as a seesaw with a competing function of dopamine versus acetylcholine. Recent technical advances however, have brought this view into question suggesting that the two systems work rather in concert with the cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) driving dopamine release. In this study, we have utilized two transgenic Cre-driver rat lines, a choline acetyl transferase ChAT-Cre transgenic rat and a novel double-transgenic tyrosine hydroxylase TH-Cre/ChAT-Cre rat to further elucidate the role of striatal ChIs in normal motor function and in Parkinson's disease. Here we show that selective and reversible activation of ChIs using chemogenetic (DREADD) receptors increases locomotor function in intact rats and potentiate the therapeutic effect of L-DOPA in the rats with lesions of the nigral dopamine system. However, the potentiation of the L-DOPA effect is accompanied by an aggravation of L-DOPA induced dyskinesias (LIDs). These LIDs appear to be driven primarily through the indirect striato-pallidal pathway since the same effect can be induced by the D2 agonist Quinpirole. Taken together, the results highlight the intricate regulation of balance between the two output pathways from the striatum orchestrated by the ChIs.

Department/s

  • Human Neural Developmental Biology
  • Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
  • Regenerative Neurophysiology
  • Molecular Neuromodulation
  • MultiPark: Multidisciplinary research focused on Parkinson´s disease
  • StemTherapy: National Initiative on Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapy
  • Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology

Publishing year

2018-01

Language

English

Pages

148-162

Publication/Series

Neurobiology of Disease

Volume

109

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Neurosciences

Keywords

  • AAV
  • Animal models
  • Chemogenetics
  • Cholinergic interneurons
  • Direct pathway
  • DREADD
  • Indirect pathway
  • L-DOPA induced dyskinesias
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Transgenic rats

Status

Published

Research group

  • Human Neural Developmental Biology
  • Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory
  • Regenerative Neurophysiology
  • Molecular Neuromodulation
  • Developmental and Regenerative Neurobiology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0969-9961