| First Author | Zhou QY | Year | 1995 |
| Journal | Cell | Volume | 83 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 1197-209 |
| PubMed ID | 8548806 | Mgi Jnum | J:30404 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:77915 | Doi | 10.1016/0092-8674(95)90145-0 |
| Citation | Zhou QY, et al. (1995) Dopamine-deficient mice are severely hypoactive, adipsic, and aphagic. Cell 83(7):1197-209 |
| abstractText | Mice unable to synthesize dopamine (DA) specifically in dopaminergic neurons were created by inactivating the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene then by restoring TH function in noradrenergic cells. These DA-deficient (DA-/-) mice were born at expected frequency but became hypoactive and stopped feeding a few weeks after birth. Midbrain dopaminergic neurons, their projections, and most characteristics of their target neurons in the striatum appeared normal. Within a few minutes of being injected with L-dihdroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), the product of TH, the DA-/- mice became more active and consumed more food than control mice. With continued administration of L-DOPA, nearly normal growth was achieved. These studies indicate that DA is essential for movement and feeding, but is not required for the development of neural circuits that control these behaviors. |
