Research articleStriatal hypodopamine phenotypes found in transgenic mice that overexpress glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor

- The expression of GDNF transgene increases RET phosphorylation in the brain.
- The chronic increase in glial GDNF reduces the dopamine content and tyrosine hydroxylase activity.
- Extracellular concentrations of dopamine and its metabolism decrease in the striatum of transgenic mice.
- The alteration of locomotor traits of transgenic mice is consistent with dopaminergic changes.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) positively regulates the development and maintenance of in vitro dopaminergic neurons. However, the in vivo influences of GDNF signals on the brain dopamine system are controversial and not fully defined. To address this question, we analyzed dopaminergic phenotypes of the transgenic mice that overexpress GDNF under the control of the glial Gfap promoter. Compared with wild-type, the GDNF transgenic mice contained higher levels of GDNF protein and phosphorylated RET receptors in the brain. However, there were reductions in the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine, and its metabolite homovanillic acid in the striatum of transgenic mice. The TH reduction appeared to occur during postnatal development. Immunohistochemistry revealed that striatal TH density was reduced in transgenic mice with no apparent signs of neurodegeneration. In agreement with these neurochemical traits, basal levels of extracellular dopamine and high K+-induced dopamine efflux were decreased in the striatum of transgenic mice. We also explored the influences of GDNF overexpression on lomomotor behavior. GDNF transgenic mice exhibited lower stereotypy and rearing in a novel environment compared with wild-type mice. These results suggest that chronic overexpression of GDNF in brain astrocytes exerts an opposing influence on nigrostriatal dopamine metabolism and neurotransmission.