Identification of a Vav2-dependent mechanism for GDNF/Ret control of mesolimbic DAT trafficking.

Nature neuroscience 2015 Aug

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Dopamine (DA) homeostasis is essential for a variety of brain activities. Dopamine transporter (DAT)-mediated DA reuptake is one of the most critical mechanisms for normal DA homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of DAT activity in the brain remain poorly understood. Here we show that the Rho-family guanine nucleotide exchange factor protein Vav2 is required for DAT cell surface expression and transporter activity modulated by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and its cognate receptor Ret. Mice deficient in either Vav2 or Ret displayed elevated DAT activity, which was accompanied by an increase in intracellular DA selectively in the nucleus accumbens. Vav2(-/-) mice exposed to cocaine showed reduced DAT activity and diminished behavioral cocaine response. Our data demonstrate that Vav2 is a determinant of DAT trafficking in vivo and contributes to the maintenance of DA homeostasis in limbic DA neuron terminals.

Citation

Shuyong Zhu, Chengjiang Zhao, Yingying Wu, Qiaoqiao Yang, Aiyun Shao, Tiepeng Wang, Jianfu Wu, Yanqing Yin, Yandong Li, Jincan Hou, Xinhua Zhang, Guomin Zhou, Xiaosong Gu, Xiaomin Wang, Xosé R Bustelo, Jiawei Zhou. Identification of a Vav2-dependent mechanism for GDNF/Ret control of mesolimbic DAT trafficking. Nature neuroscience. 2015 Aug;18(8):1084-93