Fig. 2: shRNA knockdown of endogenous VMAT2 results in dysregulated striatal dopamine.
From: Acquired dysregulation of dopamine homeostasis reproduces features of Parkinson’s disease
a VMAT2 expression in nigrostriatal dopaminergic terminals visualized by immunohistochemistry in the striatum following unilateral AAV2-shVMAT2 injection into the SN (transduced hemisphere identified by notch in cortex). b TH expression in nigrostriatal dopaminergic terminals visualized by immunohistochemistry in the striatum following unilateral AAV2-shVMAT2 injection into the SN (transduced hemisphere identified by notch in cortex). c Quantification of VMAT2 immunoreactivity in the dorsal striatum of the transduced hemisphere compared to the internal control nontransduced contralateral hemisphere (paired t-test, n = 5 animals, p = 0.0012). Each data point represents the average value for an individual animal calculated from three striatal sections per animal. d Quantification of TH immunoreactivity in the dorsal striatum of the transduced hemisphere compared to the internal control nontransduced contralateral hemisphere (paired t-test, n = 5 animals, p = 0.0215). Each data point represents the average value for an individual animal calculated from three striatal sections per animal. e Levels of dopamine (left), dopamine turnover as measured by a ratio of DOPAC:dopamine (middle), and dopamine oxidation as measured by protein cysteinyl-dopamine (right) at 8 weeks post-viral transduction. Measurements from the transduced striatal hemisphere were compared internally to the nontransduced contralateral hemisphere (paired t-test, n = 4 animals, p = 0.0433 for dopamine, p = 0.0209 for dopamine turnover, p = 0.0444 for cysteine-modified dopamine). Each data point represents the value per animal. Error bars represent mean and standard error of the mean.
