Cl. Huang et al., Modulation of dopamine transporter activity by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and membrane depolarization in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, J NEUROCHEM, 72(6), 1999, pp. 2437-2444
To elucidate the regulation of the rat dopamine transporter (rDAT), we esta
blished several PC12 variants overexpressing the rDAT. Treating these cells
with a nicotinic agonist (1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide, 30 mu
M) depolarized the plasma membrane potential from -31 +/- 2 to 43 +/- 5 mV
and inhibited rDAT activity significantly in a calcium- and protein kinase
C-independent manner. Membrane depolarization by a high external K+ concent
ration or two K+ channel blockers (tetraethylammonium hydroxide and BaCl2)
also resulted in a marked inhibition of rDAT activity. Such inhibition of d
opamine uptake is due to a reduction in V-max with no marked effect on the
K-m for dopamine. The potency of cocaine in inhibiting dopamine uptake was
not significantly altered whereas that of amphetamine was slightly enhanced
by membrane depolarization. Removing extracellular Ca2+ or blocking the vo
ltage-sensitive L-type calcium channels using nifedipine did not exert any
significant effect on the inhibition of rDAT activity by depolarization. Th
ese data confirm that calcium influx on depolarization is not required for
inhibition of the rDAT, Collectively, our data suggest that rDAT activity c
an be altered by a neurotransmitter that modulates the membrane potential,
thus suggesting an exquisite mechanism for the fine-tuning of dopamine reve
ls in the synapse.