Comparing the effect of intravenous versus intracranial grafting of mesenchymal stem cells against parkinsonism in a rat model: Behavioral, biochemical, pathological and immunohistochemical studies.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. Currently applied therapeutic protocols are limited to improve the motor functions of patients. Therefore, seeking alternative regimes with better therapeutic impact is crucial. This study aims to validate the therapeutic impact of mesenchymal stem cell injection using two delivery methods, intracranial administration and intravenous administration, on rotenone (ROT)-induced PD model in rats. Our work included behavioral, biochemical, histological, and molecular investigations. Open field test (OFT) and rotarod tests were applied. Important oxidative stress, antioxidant and proinflammatory markers were monitored. Substantia Nigra and Striatum tissues were examined histologically and the molecular expression of DOPA decarboxylase, Tyrosine hydroxylase, and α-synuclein in neurons in these tissues were investigated. Our results showed that MSC grafting improved motor and memory impairments and oxidative stress status that were observed after ROT administration. Additionally, BM-MSCs application restored SOD and CAT activities and the levels of DA, L-Dopa, IL6, IL1ß, and TNFα. Moreover, MSC grafting overwhelmed the pathological changes induced by ROT and normalized the expression of Tyrosine hydroxylase, DOPA decarboxylase, and α-synuclein towards the control values in the Nigral and Striatal tissues of male rats. Conclusively, both administration routes improved motor function, protection of the nigrostriatal system, and improved striatal dopamine release. The observed beneficial effect of applying MSCs suggests potential benefits in clinical applications. No significant differences in the outcomes of the treatment would favor a certain way of MSC application over the other. However, the intravenous delivery method seems to be safer and more feasible compared to the intrastriatal method.

L-Dopa decarboxylase modulates autophagy in hepatocytes and is implicated in dengue virus-caused inhibition of autophagy completion.

The enzyme L-Dopa Decarboxylase (DDC) synthesizes the catecholamine dopamine and the indolamine serotonin. Apart from its role in the brain as a neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzyme, DDC has been detected also in the liver and other peripheral organs, where it is implicated in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and host-virus interactions. Dengue virus (DENV) suppresses DDC expression at the later stages of infection, during which DENV also inhibits autophagosome-lysosome fusion. As dopamine affects autophagy in neuronal cells, we investigated the possible association of DDC with autophagy in human hepatocytes and examined whether DDC mediates the relationship between DENV infection and autophagy. We performed DDC silencing/overexpression and evaluated autophagic markers upon induction of autophagy, or suppression of autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Our results showed that DDC favored the autophagic process, at least in part, through its biosynthetic function, while knockdown of DDC or inhibition of DDC enzymatic activity prevented autophagy completion. In turn, autophagy induction upregulated DDC, while autophagy reduction by chemical or genetic (ATG14L knockout) ways caused the opposite effect. This study also implicated DDC with the cellular energetic status, as DDC silencing reduced the oxidative phosphorylation activity of the cell. We also report that upon DDC silencing, the repressive effect of DENV on the completion of autophagy was enhanced, and the inhibition of autolysosome formation did not exert an additive effect on viral proliferation. These data unravel a novel role of DDC in the autophagic process and suggest that DENV downregulates DDC expression to inhibit the completion of autophagy, reinforcing the importance of this protein in viral infections.

DDC-Promoter-Driven Chemogenetic Activation of SNpc Dopaminergic Neurons Alleviates Parkinsonian Motor Symptoms.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with typical motor symptoms. Recent studies have suggested that excessive GABA from reactive astrocytes tonically inhibits dopaminergic neurons and reduces the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the key dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). However, the expression of DOPA decarboxylase (DDC), another dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, is relatively spared, raising a possibility that the live but non-functional TH-negative/DDC-positive neurons could be the therapeutic target for rescuing PD motor symptoms. However, due to the absence of a validated DDC-specific promoter, manipulating DDC-positive neuronal activity has not been tested as a therapeutic strategy for PD. Here, we developed an AAV vector expressing mCherry under rat DDC promoter (AAV-rDDC-mCherry) and validated the specificity in the rat SNpc. Modifying this vector, we expressed hM3Dq (Gq-DREADD) under DDC promoter in the SNpc and ex vivo electrophysiologically validated the functionality. In the A53T-mutated alpha-synuclein overexpression model of PD, the chemogenetic activation of DDC-positive neurons in the SNpc significantly alleviated the parkinsonian motor symptoms and rescued the nigrostriatal TH expression. Altogether, our DDC-promoter will allow dopaminergic neuron-specific gene delivery in rodents. Furthermore, we propose that the activation of dormant dopaminergic neurons could be a potential therapeutic strategy for PD.

Paraganglioma with High Levels of Dopamine, Dopa Decarboxylase Suppression, Dopamine ß-hydroxylase Upregulation and Intra-tumoral Melanin Accumulation: A Case Report with a Literature Review.

Object Exclusively dopamine-producing pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) is an extremely rare subtype. In this condition, intratumoral dopamine ß-hydroxylase (DBH), which controls the conversion of norepinephrine from dopamine, is impaired, resulting in suppressed norepinephrine and epinephrine production. However, the rarity of this type of PPGL hampers the understanding of its pathophysiology. We therefore conducted genetic and immunohistological analyses of a patient with an exclusively dopamine-producing paraganglioma. Methods Paraganglioma samples from a 52-year-old woman who presented with a 29.6- and 41.5-fold increase in plasma and 24-h urinary dopamine, respectively, but only a minor elevation in the plasma norepinephrine level was subjected to immunohistological and gene expression analyses of catecholamine synthases. Three tumors carrying known somatic PPGL-related gene variants (HRAS, EPAS1) were used as controls. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was also performed using the patient's blood and tumor tissue. Results Surprisingly, the protein expression of DBH was not suppressed, and its mRNA expression was clearly higher in the patient than in the controls. Furthermore, dopa decarboxylase (DDC), which governs the conversion of 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine (L-DOPA) to dopamine, was downregulated at the protein and gene levels. In addition, melanin, which is synthesized by L-DOPA, accumulated in the tumor. WES revealed no PPGL-associated pathogenic germline variants, but a missense somatic variant (c.1798G>T) in CSDE1 was identified. Conclusion Although pre-operative plasma L-DOPA was not measured, our histological and gene expression analyses suggest that L-DOPA, rather than dopamine, might have been overproduced in the tumor. This raises the possibility of pathophysiological heterogeneity in exclusively dopamine-producing PPGL.

Dopamine receptor (DAR) and dopa decarboxylase (DDC) mediate hepatopancreas antibacterial innate immune reactions in Procambarus clarkii.

Dopa is decarboxylated by dopa decarboxylase (DDC) to form dopamine, which is a significant signaling molecule in the neuroendocrine system. The dopamine receptor (DAR) is an important transmembrane receptor responsible for receiving extracellular signals in the DAR-mediated signaling pathway. In the present study, the expression patterns of Pc-dar were investigated after bacterial challenge. The obviously changed expression patterns showed Pc-dar was related to the antibacterial innate immunity. Endogenous Pc-DDC enzymatic activities were obviously downregulated after Pc-ddc dsRNA injection. The expression level of Pc-dar mRNA was obviously upregulated after bacterial injection when the expression level of Pc-ddc was knocked down. In addition, the upregulation trend of endogenous Pc-DDC enzymatic activities was obviously restrained after bacterial stimulation when Pc-ddc was knocked down. Finally, melanization was downregulated in crayfish hemolymph compared with the dsGFP injection group. In the RNAi assay, the results of qRT-PCR showed that Toll (TLRs) signaling pathway-related genes were activated in the early stages of bacterial stimulation when Pc-ddc was knocked down. Four tested ROS-related antioxidant enzyme genes were significantly upregulated after bacterial challenge compared with the dsGFP injection group. The above results indicated that Pc-DDC and Pc-DAR play important mediating roles in the neuroendocrine immune (NEI) system of crayfish.

Silencing tyrosine hydroxylase or dopa decarboxylase gene disrupts cuticle tanning during larva-pupa-adult transformation in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata.

BACKGROUND: The 28-spotted potato ladybird, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata, is a notorious defoliator of many solanaceous and cucurbitaceous plants. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopa decarboxylase (DDC) are responsible for cuticle tanning pathway in insects. RESULTS: We identified HvTH and HvDDC in H. vigintioctopunctata, and found that high levels of them were accumulated just before or right after molting. Injection of dsHvTH or feeding 3-iodo-tyrosine (3-IT) at the third instar larval stage repressed tanning of the larval cuticle, reduced larval feeding, inhibited larval growth, and consequently caused 100% of larval mortality. Knockdown of HvDDC at the third instar larval stage hardly affected the coloration of larval head, and partially inhibited pigmentation of larval bodies and around 80% of the HvDDC RNAi larvae developed into albino pupae and adults. Moreover, depletion of HvTH or HvDDC at the fourth instar larval stage resulted in albino pupae and adults. The HvTH or HvDDC hypomorph adults fully or partially failed to remove the larval/pupal exuviae, possessed pale and abnormal wings, and poorly tanned heads and bodies, and eventually, struggled for several days without feeding on leaves before death. CONCLUSION: These results show that TH and DDC play key roles in larval and adult cuticle tanning and development in H. vigintioctopunctata. Also, these findings suggest that dopa- and dopamine-originated pigments are essential for larval and adult feeding behavior and the molting process during emergence. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Placental Changes in the serotonin transporter (Slc6a4) knockout mouse suggest a role for serotonin in controlling nutrient acquisition.

INTRODUCTION: The mouse placenta accumulates and possibly produces serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) in parietal trophoblast giant cells (pTGC) located at the interface between the placenta and maternal deciduum. However, the roles of 5-HT in placental function are unclear. This lack of information is unfortunate, given that selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors are commonly used to combat depression in pregnant women. The high affinity 5-HT transporter SLC6A4 (also known as SERT) is the target of such drugs and likely controls much of 5-HT uptake into pTGC and other placental cells. We hypothesized that ablation of the Slc6a4 gene would result in morphological changes correlated with placental gene expression changes, especially for those involved in nutrient acquisition and metabolism, and thereby, provide insights into 5-HT placental function. METHODS: Placentas were collected at embryonic age (E) 12.5 from Slc6a4 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) conceptuses. Histological analyses, RNAseq, qPCR, and integrative correlation analyses were performed. RESULTS: Slc6a4 KO placentas had a considerable increased pTGC to spongiotrophoblast area ratio relative to WT placentas and significantly elevated expression of genes associated with intestinal functions, including nutrient sensing, uptake, and catabolism, and blood clotting. Integrative correlation analyses revealed upregulation of many of these genes was correlated with pTGC layer expansion. One other key gene was dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), which catalyzes conversion of L-5-hydroxytryptophan to 5-HT. DISCUSSION: Our studies possibly suggest a new paradigm relating to how 5-HT operates in the placenta, namely as a factor regulating metabolic functions and blood coagulation. We further suggest that pTGC might be functional analogs of enterochromaffin 5-HT-positive cells of the intestinal mucosa, which regulate similar activities within the gut. Further work, including proteomics and metabolomic studies, are needed to buttress our hypothesis.

Alteration of L-Dopa decarboxylase expression in SARS-CoV-2 infection and its association with the interferon-inducible ACE2 isoform.

L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) is the most significantly co-expressed gene with ACE2, which encodes for the SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and the interferon-inducible truncated isoform dACE2. Our group previously showed the importance of DDC in viral infections. We hereby aimed to investigate DDC expression in COVID-19 patients and cultured SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, also in association with ACE2 and dACE2. We concurrently evaluated the expression of the viral infection- and interferon-stimulated gene ISG56 and the immune-modulatory, hypoxia-regulated gene EPO. Viral load and mRNA levels of DDC, ACE2, dACE2, ISG56 and EPO were quantified by RT-qPCR in nasopharyngeal swab samples from COVID-19 patients, showing no or mild symptoms, and from non-infected individuals. Samples from influenza-infected patients were analyzed in comparison. SARS-CoV-2-mediated effects in host gene expression were validated in cultured virus-permissive epithelial cells. We found substantially higher gene expression of DDC in COVID-19 patients (7.6-fold; p = 1.2e-13) but not in influenza-infected ones, compared to non-infected subjects. dACE2 was more elevated (2.9-fold; p = 1.02e-16) than ACE2 (1.7-fold; p = 0.0005) in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. ISG56 (2.5-fold; p = 3.01e-6) and EPO (2.6-fold; p = 2.1e-13) were also increased. Detected differences were not attributed to enrichment of specific cell populations in nasopharyngeal tissue. While SARS-CoV-2 virus load was positively associated with ACE2 expression (r≥0.8, p<0.001), it negatively correlated with DDC, dACE2 (r≤-0.7, p<0.001) and EPO (r≤-0.5, p<0.05). Moreover, a statistically significant correlation between DDC and dACE2 expression was observed in nasopharyngeal swab and whole blood samples of both COVID-19 and non-infected individuals (r≥0.7). In VeroE6 cells, SARS-CoV-2 negatively affected DDC, ACE2, dACE2 and EPO mRNA levels, and induced cell death, while ISG56 was enhanced at early hours post-infection. Thus, the regulation of DDC, dACE2 and EPO expression in the SARS-CoV-2-infected nasopharyngeal tissue is possibly related with an orchestrated antiviral response of the infected host as the virus suppresses these genes to favor its propagation.

Regulation of dopamine production in the brains during sexual maturation in male honey bees.

To explore the physiological mechanisms that underlie age-related dopamine increases during sexual maturation in the brains of male honey bees, we focused on the expression of genes encoding the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (Amth) and DOPA decarboxylase (Amddc), which are involved in dopamine biosynthesis in the brain. We hypothesized that juvenile hormone in hemolymph and tyrosine intake from food known as factors enhancing brain dopamine levels might both control the expression of genes related to dopamine production, and we tested this hypothesis in experiments. The brain levels of tyrosine and DOPA, which are precursors of dopamine, decreased as males aged, whereas the dopamine levels increased, suggesting active metabolism of dopamine precursors. The relative expression levels of Amth and Amddc were significantly higher in the brains of 4-day-old males compared with 0-day-old males, and the higher level of Amddc was maintained after 8 days. Topical application of the juvenile hormone analog methoprene enhanced the expression levels of Amth and Amddc in the brains according to the methoprene concentration. Oral intake of tyrosine enhanced the tyrosine, DOPA and dopamine levels in the brain, and activated Amddc expression in the brain, suggesting that tyrosine intake can increase both substrates and enzyme for dopamine biosynthesis. These results support our hypothesis that juvenile hormone and tyrosine intake may enhance the expression levels of genes encoding enzymes involved in dopamine biosynthesis in male honey bee brains during sexual maturation.

Diarylpropanes from Horsfieldia kingii.

Three new diarylpropanes (1-3), including two diarylpropane glycosides, and three known ones, were isolated from 70% aqueous acetone extract of the twigs and leaves of Horsfieldia kingii. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Bioactive evaluation of inhibition on DDC enzyme assay showed that the new compounds were inactive.

Histopathological Analysis of Tumor Microenvironment and Angiogenesis in Pheochromocytoma.

Pheochromocytomas (PHEOs) are relatively rare catecholamine-producing tumors derived from adrenal medulla. Tumor microenvironment (TME) including neoangiogenesis has been explored in many human neoplasms but not necessarily in PHEOs. Therefore, in this study, we examined tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (CD4 and CD8), tumor associated macrophages (CD68 and CD163), sustentacular cells (S100p), and angiogenic markers (CD31 and areas of intratumoral hemorrhage) in 39 cases of PHEOs in the quantitative fashion. We then compared the results with pheochromocytoma of the adrenal gland scaled score (PASS), grading system for pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (GAPP) and the status of intra-tumoral catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes (TH, DDC, and PNMT) as well as their clinicopathological factors. Intratumoral CD8 (p = 0.0256), CD31 (p = 0.0400), and PNMT (p = 0.0498) status was significantly higher in PHEOs with PASS <4 than PASS ≧4. In addition, intratumoral CD8+ lymphocytes were also significantly more abundant in well-than moderately differentiated PHEO according to GAPP score (p = 0.0108) and inversely correlated with tumor size (p = 0.0257). Intratumoral CD68+ cells were significantly higher in PHEOs with regular or normal histological patterns than those not (p = 0.0370) and inversely correlated with tumor size (p = 0.0457). The status of CD163 was significantly positively correlated with that of CD8 positive cells (p = 0.0032). The proportion of intratumoral hemorrhage areas was significantly higher in PHEOs with PASS ≧4 (p = 0.0172). DDC immunoreactivity in tumor cells was significantly positively correlated with PASS score (p = 0.0356) and TH status was significantly higher in PHEOs harboring normal histological patterns (p = 0.0236) and cellular monotony (p = 0.0219) than those not. Results of our present study did demonstrate that abundant CD8+ and CD68+ cells could represent a histologically low-scored tumor. In particular, PHEOs with increased intratumoral hemorrhage should be considered rather malignant. In addition, abnormal catecholamine-producing status of tumor cells such as deficient PNMT and TH and increased DDC could also represent more aggressive PHEOs.

Putative COVID- 19 Induction of Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) and Associated Behavioral Addictions with Potential Concomitant Dopamine Depletion: Is COVID-19 Social Distancing a Double Edged Sword?

BACKGROUND: The overwhelming fatalities of the global COVID-19 Pandemic will have daunting epigenetic sequala that can translate into an array of mental health issues, including panic, phobia, health anxiety, sleep disturbances to dissociative like symptoms including suicide. Method: We searched PUBMED for articles listed using the search terms "COVID 19 Pandemic", COVID19 and genes," "stress and COVID 19", Stress and Social distancing: Results: Long-term social distancing may be neurologically harmful, the consequence of epigenetic insults to the gene encoding the primary receptor for SARS-CoV2, and COVID 19. The gene is Angiotensin I Converting-Enzyme 2 (ACE2). According to the multi-experiment matrix (MEM), the gene exhibiting the most statistically significant co-expression link to ACE2 is Dopa Decarboxylase (DDC). DDC is a crucial enzyme that participates in the synthesis of both dopamine and serotonin. SARS-CoV2-induced downregulation of ACE2 expression might reduce dopamine and serotonin synthesis, causing hypodopaminergia. Discussion: Indeed, added to the known reduced dopamine function during periods of stress, including social distancing the consequence being both genetic and epigenetic vulnerability to all Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) addictive behaviors. Stress seen in PTSD can generate downstream alterations in immune functions by reducing methylation levels of immune-related genes. Conclusion: Mitigation of these effects by identifying subjects at risk and promoting dopaminergic homeostasis to help regulate stress-relative hypodopaminergia, attenuate fears, and prevent subsequent unwanted drug and non-drug RDS type addictive behaviors seems prudent.

Oxygen reactivity with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate enzymes: biochemical implications and functional relevance.

The versatility of reactions catalyzed by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) enzymes is largely due to the chemistry of their extraordinary catalyst. PLP is necessary for many reactions involving amino acids. Reaction specificity is controlled by the orientation of the external aldimine intermediate that is formed upon addition of the amino acidic substrate to the coenzyme. The breakage of a specific bond of the external aldimine gives rise to a carbanionic intermediate. From this point, the different reaction pathways diverge leading to multiple activities: transamination, decarboxylation, racemization, elimination, and synthesis. A significant novelty appeared approximately 30 years ago when it was reported that some PLP-dependent decarboxylases are able to consume molecular oxygen transforming an amino acid into a carbonyl compound. These side paracatalytic reactions could be particularly relevant for human health, also considering that some of these enzymes are responsible for the synthesis of important neurotransmitters such as γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, and serotonin, whose dysregulation under oxidative conditions could have important implications in neurodegenerative states. However, the reactivity of PLP enzymes with dioxygen is not confined to mammals/animals. In fact, some plant PLP decarboxylases have been reported to catalyze oxidative reactions producing carbonyl compounds. Moreover, other recent reports revealed the existence of new oxidase activities catalyzed by new PLP enzymes, MppP, RohP, Ind4, CcbF, PvdN, Cap15, and CuaB. These PLP enzymes belong to the bacterial and fungal kingdoms and are present in organisms synthesizing bioactive compounds. These new PLP activities are not paracatalytic and could only scratch the surface on a wider and unexpected catalytic capability of PLP enzymes.

The modular expression patterns of three pigmentation genes prefigure unique abdominal morphologies seen among three Drosophila species.

To understand how novel animal body colorations emerged, one needs to ask how the development of color patterns differs among closely related species. Here we examine three species of fruit flies - Drosophila guttifera (D. guttifera), D. palustris, and D. subpalustris - displaying a varying number of abdominal spot rows. Through in situ hybridization experiments, we examine the mRNA expression patterns for the pigmentation genes Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), tan (t), and yellow (y) during pupal development. Our results show that Ddc, t, and y are co-expressed in modular, identical patterns, each foreshadowing the adult abdominal spots in D. guttifera, D. palustris, and D. subpalustris. We suggest that differences in the expression patterns of these three genes partially underlie the morphological diversity of the quinaria species group.

MicroRNA-277 regulates dopa decarboxylase to control larval-pupal and pupal-adult metamorphosis of Helicoverpa armigera.

Insect metamorphosis is a complex process involving many metabolic pathways, such as juvenile hormones and molting hormones, bioamines, microRNAs (miRNAs), etc. However, relatively little is known about the biogenic amines and their miRNAs to regulate cotton bollworm metamorphosis. Here we show that one miRNA, miR-277 regulates larval-pupal and pupal-adult metamorphosis of cotton bollworm by targeting the 3'UTR of Dopa decarboxylase (DDC), a synthetic catalytic enzyme of dopamine. Injection of miR-277 agomir inhibited the expression of DDC at the mRNA and protein levels, leading to defects in the pupation and emergence of H. armigera that was consistent with the phenotype obtained by injection of DDC double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Injection of miR-277 antagomir induced the mRNA and protein expression of DDC and rescued the phenotype of pupation failure caused by DDC gene silencing. Unexpectedly, miR-277 antagomir can also cause failure of emergence of H. armigera and both agomir and antagomir of miR-277 injection could cause abnormal phenotypes in wing veins. This study reveals that elaborate regulation of miRNA and its target gene expression is prerequisite for insect development, which provides a new insight to study the developmental mechanisms of insect wing veins.

Cloning and characterization of DOPA decarboxylase in Litopenaeus vannamei and its roles in catecholamine biosynthesis, immunocompetence, and antibacterial defense by dsRNA-mediated gene silencing.

Catecholamines (CAs) play critical roles in regulating physiological and immunological homeostasis in invertebrates and vertebrates under stressful environments. DOPA decarboxylase (DDC), an enzyme responsible for the decarboxylation step of dopamine synthesis, participates in neurotransmitter metabolism and innate immunity. In shrimp, two genes encoding CA-related enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine beta-hydroxylase, were further identified and characterized as neuroendocrine-immune regulators. In this study, full-length complementary DNA of DDC cloned from the thoracic ganglia of shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, (LvDDC) was predicted to encode a 452-amino acid protein with a pyridoxal-dependent decarboxylase-conserved domain, and this deduced protein of LvDDC was phylogenetically closely related to insect DDC. LvDDC messenger RNA expression was analyzed by a semiquantitative RT-PCR and a real-time quantitative RT-PCR and found to be abundant in the hepatopancreas and nervous system but at low levels in haemocytes, heart, stomach, and gills. To determine the role of LvDDC, double-stranded (ds)RNA was used for in vivo assessments. LvDDC-depleted shrimp revealed significant increases in the total haemocyte count, hyaline cells, granular cells, phenoloxidase activity, and respiratory bursts of haemocytes per unit of haemolymph, and phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency toward Vibrio alginolyticus. Further, decreased LvDDC mRNA expression was accompanied by decreases in dopamine, glucose, and lactate levels in haemolymph. In shrimp that received LvDDC-dsRNA for 3 days and were then challenged with V. alginolyticus, the survival rate of LvDDC-depleted shrimp was significantly higher than that of shrimp that received diethyl pyrocarbonate-water or non-targeted dsRNA. In conclusion, the cloned LvDDC was responsible for controlling dopamine synthesis, which then regulated physiological and immune responses in L. vannamei.

Neurotoxicity of Mn3O4 nanoparticles: Apoptosis and dopaminergic neurons damage pathway.

Mn3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) are used increasingly in various fields due to their excellent physiochemical properties. Previous studies have documented that Mn-based nanomaterials resulted in excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and dopamine (DA) reduction both in vivo and in vitro experiments. However, little is known about the mechanism of ROS production and DA decrease induced by Mn-based nanomaterials. The present study was carried out to elucidate the mechanism of the co-incubation model of dopaminergic neuron PC12 cells and the synthesized Mn3O4 NPs. The results demonstrated that exposure to Mn3O4 NPs reduced cell viability, increased level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triggered oxidative stress and induced apoptosis. Notably, the level of ROS was remarkably increased (>10-fold) with Mn3O4 NPs exposure. We also found that mitochondrial calcium Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) was up-regulated and the mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]mito) increased induced by Mn3O4 NPs in PC12 cells. Furthermore, the MCU inhibitor RuR significantly attenuated Mn3O4 NPs-induced [Ca2+]mito, ROS production and apoptosis. In PC12 cells, the decrease of DA content was mainly due to the downregulation of DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) expression caused by Mn3O4 NPs treatment. The expression of proteins related to DA storage system was not significantly affected by treatment.

Selective YAP/TAZ inhibition in fibroblasts via dopamine receptor D1 agonism reverses fibrosis.

Tissue fibrosis is characterized by uncontrolled deposition and diminished clearance of fibrous connective tissue proteins, ultimately leading to organ scarring. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) have recently emerged as pivotal drivers of mesenchymal cell activation in human fibrosis. Therapeutic strategies inhibiting YAP and TAZ have been hindered by the critical role that these proteins play in regeneration and homeostasis in different cell types. Here, we find that the Gαs-coupled dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) is preferentially expressed in lung and liver mesenchymal cells relative to other resident cells of these organs. Agonism of DRD1 selectively inhibits YAP/TAZ function in mesenchymal cells and shifts their phenotype from profibrotic to fibrosis resolving, reversing in vitro extracellular matrix stiffening and in vivo tissue fibrosis in mouse models. Aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase [DOPA decarboxylase (DDC)], the enzyme responsible for the final step in biosynthesis of dopamine, is decreased in the lungs of subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and its expression inversely correlates with disease severity, consistent with an endogenous protective role for dopamine signaling that is lost in pulmonary fibrosis. Together, these findings establish a pharmacologically tractable and cell-selective approach to targeting YAP/TAZ via DRD1 that reverses fibrosis in mice.

Emerging Role of l-Dopa Decarboxylase in Flaviviridae Virus Infections.

l-dopa decarboxylase (DDC) that catalyzes the biosynthesis of bioactive amines, such as dopamine and serotonin, is expressed in the nervous system and peripheral tissues, including the liver, where its physiological role remains unknown. Recently, we reported a physical and functional interaction of DDC with the major signaling regulator phosphoinosite-3-kinase (PI3K). Here, we provide compelling evidence for the involvement of DDC in viral infections. Studying dengue (DENV) and hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection in hepatocytes and HCV replication in liver samples of infected patients, we observed a negative association between DDC and viral replication. Specifically, replication of both viruses reduced the levels of DDC mRNA and the ~120 kDa SDS-resistant DDC immunoreactive functional complex, concomitant with a PI3K-dependent accumulation of the ~50 kDa DDC monomer. Moreover, viral infection inhibited PI3K-DDC association, while DDC did not colocalize with viral replication sites. DDC overexpression suppressed DENV and HCV RNA replication, while DDC enzymatic inhibition enhanced viral replication and infectivity and affected DENV-induced cell death. Consistently, we observed an inverse correlation between DDC mRNA and HCV RNA levels in liver biopsies from chronically infected patients. These data reveal a novel relationship between DDC and Flaviviridae replication cycle and the role of PI3K in this process.

Evidence for L-Dopa Decarboxylase Involvement in Cancer Cell Cytotoxicity Induced by Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone.

BACKGROUND: L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) expression has been implicated in the biochemistry of several human cancers. Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone are two widely used anticancer agents. Docetaxel is a semi-synthetic analogue of Paclitaxel, an extract from the bark of the rare Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia, and Mitoxantrone is an anthracenedione anticancer agent. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of chemotherapeutic agents on the expression of human DDC in human prostate and human breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the study focused on the effect of chemotherapeutics - particularly Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone - on the viability of mammalian cells expressing human DDC protein isoforms. METHODS: We investigated the effect of Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone on the expression of DDC in DU- 145 (androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line) and MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma cell line). In order to gain insight into the effect of DDC on cell viability following chemotherapeutic agent treatment, we investigated the cytotoxicity and apoptosis levels on CHO cells expressing different human DDC protein isoforms. RESULTS: Our obtained data indicated that exposure of DU-145 and MCF-7 cells to Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone enhances the expression of neural type DDC mRNA isoforms. Interestingly, DDC protein levels were not affected, despite the cytotoxic events elicited by the chemotherapeutic agent treatment. Moreover, expression of DDC and its alternative protein isoforms, appear to enhance the cytotoxic and apoptotic events conferred by exposure to Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the possible involvement of DDC expression in Docetaxel and Mitoxantrone- induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis.