Influence of dopamine on precursor cell proliferation and differentiation in the embryonic mouse telencephalon

Dev Neurosci. 2004 Mar-Aug;26(2-4):229-44. doi: 10.1159/000082140.

Abstract

Dopamine and its receptor binding sites appear in the brain early in the embryonic period raising the possibility that dopamine may influence brain development. We show that one component of dopamine's role in brain development is its ability to influence proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells in the neostriatum and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex on embryonic day 15 in mice. Dopamine and a D1-like receptor agonist reduce the relative proportion of progenitor cells incorporating the S phase marker bromodeoxyuridine. A D2-like agonist produces the opposite effect. Both the effects are evident in the lateral ganglionic eminence, neuroepithelial precursor of the neostriatum and in the neuroepithelium of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Neostriatal progenitor cells are more responsive than cortical progenitor cells to the effects of dopamine receptor activation. Furthermore, progenitor cells in the ventricular zone are more responsive to D1-like agonists and progenitors in the subventricular zone more so to D2-like agonists. Thus, dopamine's developmental effects show regional and progenitor cell type specificity, presumably due to heterogeneity in the distribution of its receptor binding sites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites / drug effects
  • Binding Sites / physiology
  • Binding, Competitive / drug effects
  • Binding, Competitive / physiology
  • Bromodeoxyuridine
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dopamine / pharmacology
  • Dopamine / physiology*
  • Dopamine Agonists / pharmacology
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Down-Regulation / physiology
  • Drug Tolerance / physiology
  • Mice
  • Neostriatum / cytology
  • Neostriatum / embryology
  • Neostriatum / metabolism
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / cytology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / embryology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1 / agonists
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / agonists
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / metabolism
  • S Phase / drug effects
  • S Phase / physiology
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Telencephalon / cytology
  • Telencephalon / embryology
  • Telencephalon / metabolism*

Substances

  • Dopamine Agonists
  • Receptors, Dopamine D1
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2
  • Bromodeoxyuridine
  • Dopamine