Action sequencing is impaired in D_1A‐deficient mutant mice

Abstract

The role of dopamine in the production of behaviour is multifarious in that it can influence different aspects of movement (e.g. movement initiation, sensorimotor integration, and movement sequencing). A characteristic of the dopamine system which seems to be critical for the expression of this diverse influence is its varied receptor population. Previous studies have shown that specific receptor subtype activation leads to specific behavioural responses or alterations of selective aspects of movement. It is known that one of the important influences of dopamine includes sequential co-ordination of 'syntactic' patterns of grooming movements because moderate loss of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal projections specifically disrupts these patterns without affecting grooming actions in a general fashion (Berridge, K.C. Psychobiology, 15, 336, 1989). The specific receptors of the dopamine family which play a key part in this co-ordination of movement sequences is not known. In the present study, we examined the serial order of particular syntactic sequences or chains of grooming actions in mice lacking D1A receptors to explore the relationship between this receptor subtype and movement sequencing. Mutant mice had shorter grooming bouts and a disruption of the organization of sequential patterns compared with wild-type littermate controls. Sequential disruption was reflected in the failure of D1A mutants to follow the syntactic pattern of grooming to completion. This sequential disruption deficit appeared to be specific, as mutant mice initiated more syntactic chains than wild-type controls even though they were less likely to complete them. These results support the hypothesis that D1A receptor activation plays a part in the sequencing of natural action. This conclusion has important implications for the understanding of the functional heterogeneity of dopamine receptor subtypes and of the aetiology of symptoms observed in patients with basal ganglia disease.

A Role for Electrotonic Coupling in the Striatum in the Expression of Dopamine Receptor-mediated Stereotypies,

“…produced by D2 agonists) (Davidkova et al 1998;Fowler and Liou 1994;Wang et al 2000), but also require a minimal level of D1 receptor stimulation (Beninger et al 1991;Mashurano and Waddington 1986). Unlike most simple stereotypies and locomotion, grooming appears mainly to be a behavioral sequence mediated by D1 receptor stimulation in the central and dorsal striatum (Cromwell et al 1998;Downes and Waddington 1993;Molloy and Waddington 1984b). The effects on grooming observed in the present study were intriguing, given the plausible role of gap junction in behavioral sequencing.…”

“…Moreover, downregulation or antagonism of DA D1 receptors with genetic, antisense, or pharmacologic techniques can disrupt sequencing per se (i.e. individual behaviors are expressed, but not sequentially (Berridge and Aldridge 2000a,b;Cromwell et al 1998). Consistent with this, D1 receptor stimulation promotes the completion of complex behavioral sequences such as grooming (Molloy and Waddington 1984a).…”

Social Modulation of Sequence and Syllable Variability in Adult Birdsong

“…We propose that such changes in catecholamine concentrations in vocal motor circuits, including the AFP, underlie not only the decrease in the variability of syllable structure but also the decrease in the variability of syllable sequencing. Consistent with this perspective are reports that elevated dopamine levels, particularly in nigrostriatal circuits, can increase the stereotypy and repetitiveness of motor expression in rodents and primates (Berridge and Aldridge 2000;Berridge et al 2005;Cromwell et al 1998;reviewed in Ridley 1994;Saka et al 2004).…”

Psychomotor functions at various weeks of chronic renal failure in rats

“…Many neuromediators and hormones as well as multiple regions in the brain appear to be involved in the regulation of grooming behaviour (Bolivar et al 1996;Bressers et al 1998;Cromwell et al 1998;Van Erp et al 1995).The sequential coordination of grooming depends on dopamine neurotransmission in basal ganglia circuits, as the pattern is disrupted by dopaminergic nigrostriatal lesions (Berridge 1989), and the pattern is made more rigid by the transgenic elevation of neostriatal extracellular dopamine (Berridge et al 2005). The dopamine level in renal failure was reported to be low and therefore, the mechanism of grooming appears to be much more complex in these animals (Pestana et al 1988).…”