The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a target of amphetamine (AMPH) and cocaine. These psychostimulants attenuate DAT clearance efficiency, thereby increasing synaptic dopamine (DA) levels. Re-uptake rate is determined by the number of functional transporters at the cell surface as well as by their turnover rate. Here, we present evidence that DAT substrates, including AMPH and DA, cause internalization of human DAT, thereby reducing transport capacity. Acute treatment with AMPH reduced the maximal rate of Dopamine (DA) signaling in the central nervous system mediates a wide variety of physiologic functions such as movement, motivational control of voluntary behavior, and lactation (1, 2). The magnitude and duration of DA signaling is defined by the amount of vesicular release, the sensitivity of the DA receptors, and the efficiency of DA clearance. The DA transporter (DAT) is largely responsible for regulating DA clearance (3).Psychostimulants, such as cocaine and amphetamine (AMPH), induce DA overflow into the synaptic cleft by acting on the DAT, thereby enhancing dopaminergic transmission (4). Cocaine acts by inhibiting the re-uptake of released DA (5, 6). AMPH-like drugs, however, are thought to promote the release of the transmitter (carrier-mediated efflux) as well as to inhibit its uptake (7,8). Repeated administration of AMPH has been shown to sensitize monoaminergic synapses to subsequent psychostimulant challenge (9). Furthermore, administration of a single, high dose of AMPH acutely (1 h) decreased DAT function in vivo as assessed in striatal synaptosomes prepared from drug-treated rats (10). In contrast, administration of a high dose of cocaine had no effect on subsequent transporter activity (10).To explore the mechanism for the differential effects of AMPH and cocaine on the homeostatic uptake capacity of the human DAT (hDAT), we stably expressed a FLAG-tagged hDAT in EM4 cells (see Materials and Methods). The use of the FLAG fusion protein has provided the opportunity for confocal microscopy analysis of trafficking of the transporter in cells. Here, we report that AMPH caused the hDAT to redistribute intracellularly in a dynamindependent manner, consequently reducing subsequent DA transport capacity. These results provide a mechanism for the AMPHinduced elevation of synaptic DA mediated through a reduction of the number of transporters on the cell surface. Materials and MethodsCell Culture. We created a synthetic hDAT gene, which was tagged at the amino terminus with a FLAG epitope. The gene encodes a protein with an amino acid sequence identical to that of wild-type hDAT with the Met at position 1 replaced by MDYKDDDDKA, but the nucleotide sequence was altered to increase the number of unique restriction sites and to optimize codon utilization. The nucleotide sequence of this construct and its creation will be described elsewhere. The FLAG-tagged syntheticDAT was subcloned into a bicistronic expression vector that expresses the syntheticDAT from a cytomegalovirus promoter and the hygromycin resista...

De novo genetic variation is an important class of risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recently, whole exome sequencing of ASD families has identified a novel de novo missense mutation in the human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT) gene, which results in a Thr to Met substitution at site 356 (hDAT T356M). The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a presynaptic membrane protein that regulates dopaminergic tone in the central nervous system by mediating the high-affinity re-uptake of synaptically released DA, making it a crucial regulator of DA homeostasis. Here, we report the first functional, structural, and behavioral characterization of an ASD-associated de novo mutation in the hDAT. We demonstrate that the hDAT T356M displays anomalous function, characterized as a persistent reverse transport of DA (substrate efflux). Importantly, in the bacterial homolog leucine transporter, substitution of A289 (the homologous site to T356) with a Met promotes an outward-facing conformation upon substrate binding. In the substrate-bound state, an outward-facing transporter conformation is a required for substrate efflux. In Drosophila melanogaster, expression of hDAT T356M in DA neurons lacking Drosophila DAT leads to hyperlocomotion, a trait associated with DA dysfunction and ASD. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that alterations in DA homeostasis, mediated by aberrant DAT function, may confer risk for ASD and related neuropsychiatric conditions.

Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) regulates the function of ion channels and transporters. Here, we demonstrate that PIP2 directly binds the human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT), a key regulator of DA homeostasis and a target of the psychostimulant amphetamine (AMPH). This binding occurs through electrostatic interactions with positively charged hDAT N-terminal residues and is shown to facilitate AMPH-induced, DAT-mediated DA efflux and the psychomotor properties of AMPH. Substitution of these residues with uncharged amino acids reduces hDAT-PIP2 interactions and AMPH-induced DA efflux, without altering the hDAT physiological function of DA uptake. We evaluated, for the first time, the significance of this interaction in vivo using locomotion as a behavioral assay in Drosophila melanogaster. Expression of mutated hDAT with reduced PIP2 interaction in Drosophila DA neurons impairs AMPH-induced locomotion without altering basal locomotion. We present the first demonstration of how PIP2 interactions with a membrane protein can regulate the behaviors of complex organisms.

The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) modulates brain circuits involved in attention, reward, and motor activity. Synaptic DA homeostasis is primarily controlled via two presynaptic regulatory mechanisms, DA D 2 receptor (D 2 R)-mediated inhibition of DA synthesis and release, and DA transporter (DAT)-mediated DA clearance. D 2 Rs can physically associate with DAT and regulate DAT function, linking DA release and reuptake to a common mechanism. We have established that the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder-associated human DAT coding variant Ala559Val (hDAT A559V) results in anomalous DA efflux (ADE) similar to that caused by amphetamine-like psychostimulants. Here, we show that tonic activation of D 2 R provides support for hDAT A559V-mediated ADE. We determine in hDAT A559V a pertussis toxin-sensitive, CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation mechanism that supports D 2 R-driven DA efflux. These studies identify a signaling network downstream of D 2 R activation, normally constraining DA action at synapses, that may be altered by DAT mutation to impact risk for DA-related disorders.

The behavioral effects of psychomotor stimulants such as amphetamine (AMPH) arise from their ability to elicit increases in extracellular dopamine (DA). These AMPH-induced increases are achieved by DA transporter (DAT)-mediated transmitter efflux. Recently, we have shown that AMPH self-administration is reduced in rats that have been depleted of insulin with the diabetogenic agent streptozotocin (STZ). In vitro studies suggest that hypoinsulinemia may regulate the actions of AMPH by inhibiting the insulin downstream effectors phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (PKB, or Akt), which we have previously shown are able to fine-tune DAT cell-surface expression. Here, we demonstrate that striatal Akt function, as well as DAT cell-surface expression, are significantly reduced by STZ. In addition, our data show that the release of DA, determined by high-speed chronoamperometry (HSCA) in the striatum, in response to AMPH, is severely impaired in these insulin-deficient rats. Importantly, selective inhibition of PI3K with LY294002 within the striatum results in a profound reduction in the subsequent potential for AMPH to evoke DA efflux. Consistent with our biochemical and in vivo electrochemical data, findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments reveal that the ability of AMPH to elicit positive blood oxygen level–dependent signal changes in the striatum is significantly blunted in STZ-treated rats. Finally, local infusion of insulin into the striatum of STZ-treated animals significantly recovers the ability of AMPH to stimulate DA release as measured by high-speed chronoamperometry. The present studies establish that PI3K signaling regulates the neurochemical actions of AMPH-like psychomotor stimulants. These data suggest that insulin signaling pathways may represent a novel mechanism for regulating DA transmission, one which may be targeted for the treatment of AMPH abuse and potentially other dopaminergic disorders.

Emerging evidence associates dysfunction in the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) with the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The human DAT (hDAT; SLC6A3) rare variant with an Ala to Val substitution at amino acid 559 (hDAT A559V) was previously reported in individuals with bipolar disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We have demonstrated that this variant is hyper-phosphorylated at the amino (N)-terminal serine (Ser) residues and promotes an anomalous DA efflux phenotype. Here, we report the novel identification of hDAT A559V in two unrelated ASD subjects and provide the first mechanistic description of its impaired trafficking phenotype. DAT surface expression is dynamically regulated by DAT substrates including the psychostimulant amphetamine (AMPH), which causes hDAT trafficking away from the plasma membrane. The integrity of DAT trafficking directly impacts DA transport capacity and therefore dopaminergic neurotransmission. Here, we show that hDAT A559V is resistant to AMPH-induced cell surface redistribution. This unique trafficking phenotype is conferred by altered protein kinase C β (PKCβ) activity. Cells expressing hDAT A559V exhibit constitutively elevated PKCβ activity, inhibition of which restores the AMPH-induced hDAT A559V membrane redistribution. Mechanistically, we link the inability of hDAT A559V to traffic in response to AMPH to the phosphorylation of the five most distal DAT N-terminal Ser. Mutation of these N-terminal Ser to Ala restores AMPH-induced trafficking. Furthermore, hDAT A559V has a diminished ability to transport AMPH, and therefore lacks AMPH-induced DA efflux. Pharmacological inhibition of PKCβ or Ser to Ala substitution in the hDAT A559V background restores AMPH-induced DA efflux while promoting intracellular AMPH accumulation. Although hDAT A559V is a rare variant, it has been found in multiple probands with neuropsychiatric disorders associated with imbalances in DA neurotransmission, including ADHD, bipolar disorder, and now ASD. These findings provide valuable insight into a new cellular phenotype (altered hDAT trafficking) supporting dysregulated DA function in these disorders. They also provide a novel potential target (PKCβ) for therapeutic interventions in individuals with ASD.

BackgroundThe prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically worldwide. The obesity epidemic begs for novel concepts and therapeutic targets that cohesively address “food-abuse” disorders. We demonstrate a molecular link between impairment of a central kinase (Akt) involved in insulin signaling induced by exposure to a high-fat (HF) diet and dysregulation of higher order circuitry involved in feeding. Dopamine (DA) rich brain structures, such as striatum, provide motivation stimuli for feeding. In these central circuitries, DA dysfunction is posited to contribute to obesity pathogenesis. We identified a mechanistic link between metabolic dysregulation and the maladaptive behaviors that potentiate weight gain. Insulin, a hormone in the periphery, also acts centrally to regulate both homeostatic and reward-based HF feeding. It regulates DA homeostasis, in part, by controlling a key element in DA clearance, the DA transporter (DAT). Upon HF feeding, nigro-striatal neurons rapidly develop insulin signaling deficiencies, causing increased HF calorie intake.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe show that consumption of fat-rich food impairs striatal activation of the insulin-activated signaling kinase, Akt. HF-induced Akt impairment, in turn, reduces DAT cell surface expression and function, thereby decreasing DA homeostasis and amphetamine (AMPH)-induced DA efflux. In addition, HF-mediated dysregulation of Akt signaling impairs DA-related behaviors such as (AMPH)-induced locomotion and increased caloric intake. We restored nigro-striatal Akt phosphorylation using recombinant viral vector expression technology. We observed a rescue of DAT expression in HF fed rats, which was associated with a return of locomotor responses to AMPH and normalization of HF diet-induced hyperphagia.Conclusions/SignificanceAcquired disruption of brain insulin action may confer risk for and/or underlie “food-abuse” disorders and the recalcitrance of obesity. This molecular model, thus, explains how even short-term exposure to “the fast food lifestyle” creates a cycle of disordered eating that cements pathological changes in DA signaling leading to weight gain and obesity.

BackgroundSyntaxin 1 (STX1) is a presynaptic plasma membrane protein that coordinates synaptic vesicle fusion. STX1 also regulates the function of neurotransmitter transporters, including the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT). The DAT is a membrane protein that controls DA homeostasis through the high-affinity re-uptake of synaptically released DA.MethodsWe adopt newly developed animal models and state-of-the-art biophysical techniques to determine the contribution of the identified gene variants to impairments in DA neurotransmission observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).OutcomesHere, we characterize two independent autism-associated variants in the genes that encode STX1 and the DAT. We demonstrate that each variant dramatically alters DAT function. We identify molecular mechanisms that converge to inhibit reverse transport of DA and DA-associated behaviors. These mechanisms involve decreased phosphorylation of STX1 at Ser14 mediated by casein kinase 2 as well as a reduction in STX1/DAT interaction. These findings point to STX1/DAT interactions and STX1 phosphorylation as key regulators of DA homeostasis.InterpretationWe determine the molecular identity and the impact of these variants with the intent of defining DA dysfunction and associated behaviors as possible complications of ASD.