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VMAT1 Deletion Causes Neuronal Loss in the Hippocampus and Neurocognitive Deficits in Spatial Discrimination
Journal article   Peer reviewed

VMAT1 Deletion Causes Neuronal Loss in the Hippocampus and Neurocognitive Deficits in Spatial Discrimination

Pushpinder K Multani, Rachel Hodge, Marcel A Estévez, Ted Abel, Hank Kung, Mark Alter, Bethany Brookshire, Irwin Lucki, Aleksandra H Nall, Konrad Talbot, …
Neuroscience, Vol.232, pp.32-44
03/01/2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.11.023
PMCID: PMC4364608
PMID: 23201251
url
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.11.023View
Open Access

Abstract

Vesicular monoamine transporters (VMAT) are involved in presynaptic storage and release of neurotransmitters. While it was thought initially that only VMAT2 is brain expressed and VMAT1 is present only in the periphery, recent data has challenged the exclusive expression of VMAT2 in brain. To further elucidate the role of VMAT1 brain expression and its potential role in neuropsychiatric disorders, we have investigated mice lacking VMAT1. Comparison of wildtype and knock-out (KO) mice using qPCR and immunohistochemistry documents the expression of VMAT1 in the brain. Deletion of VMAT1 leads to increased hippocampal apoptosis and reduced neurogenesis as assessed by caspase-3-labeling and BrdU-labeling. Behavioral data show that mice lacking VMAT1 have neurocognitive deficits. VMAT2 expression is not altered in VMAT1 KO mice, suggesting a distinct role of VMAT1. Our data support VMAT1 brain expression and suggest that VMAT1 plays a key role in survival of hippocampal neurons and thus might contribute to neurocognitive deficits observed in neuropsychiatric disorders.
bipolar disorder cognition hippocampus VMAT2 neurogenesis apoptosis schizophrenia SLC18A1

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