Pharmacological regulation of striatal gene expression by metabotropic glutamate receptors

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) are densely expressed by striatal medium spiny neurons. Activation of mGluR in this brain region alters local transmitter release and behaviors of experimental animals. In particular, mGluR regulate transcription factor and neuropeptide gene expression in str iatal neurons through their connections with multiple intracellular effecte rs. This prominent involvement of mGluR in overall cellular activity is piv otal for the development of neuronal plasticity underlying long-term adapti ve changes in cellular physiology related to a variety of neurologic disord ers. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the subtypes of mGluR have dis tinct effects on gene expression: group I subtypes facilitating, and group II/III subtypes inhibiting, gene expression. Thus, the mGluR can be conside red as promising targets in the development of novel therapeutic drugs that can relieve neurologic disorders resulting from dysfunction of the striatu m.