Absence of the GPR37/PAEL receptor impairs striatal Akt and ERK2 phosphorylation, DeltaFosB expression, and conditioned place preference to amphetamine and cocaine

FASEB J. 2011 Jun;25(6):2071-81. doi: 10.1096/fj.10-175737. Epub 2011 Mar 3.

Abstract

The orphan G-protein-coupled receptor 37 (GPR37) colocalizes with the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) in mouse nigrostriatal presynaptic membranes, and its genetic ablation in homozygous null-mutant (GPR37-KO) mice provokes the marked increase of plasma membrane expression of DAT, alteration of psychostimulant-induced locomotor activity, and reduction of catalepsy induced by DA-receptor antagonists. We report that extracts from GPR37-KO mice displayed biochemical alterations of the nigrostriatal signaling pathways mediated by D1 and D2 dopaminergic receptors. Null-mutant mice showed an increase of the basal phosphorylation level of the D2-regulated Akt kinase. The basal phosphorylation of the D1-activated ERK2 kinase was not altered, but acute treatments with amphetamine or cocaine failed to produce its specific increase, as detected in samples from wild-type littermates. Furthermore, the chronic administration of cocaine to GPR37-KO mice did not increase the expression of the ΔFosB transcription factor isoforms. Consistently, behavioral analysis showed that null-mutant animals did not respond to the incentive properties of amphetamine or cocaine, in conditioned place preference tests. Thus, the lack of GPR37 affects both ERK2- and Akt-mediated striatal signaling pathways, impairing the biochemical and behavioral responses typically induced by acute and chronic administration of psychostimulant drugs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / metabolism
  • Cocaine / metabolism
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / metabolism*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors
  • Fosb protein, mouse
  • Gpr37 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Amphetamine
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Cocaine