Molecular cloning and expression of the gene for a human D1 dopamine receptor.

The diverse physiological actions of dopamine are mediated by its interaction with two basic types of G protein-coupled receptor, D1 and D2, which stimulate and inhibit, respectively, the enzyme adenylyl cyclase. Alterations in the number or activity of these receptors may be a contributory factor in diseases such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of the gene encoding a human D1 dopamine receptor. The coding region of this gene is intronless, unlike the gene encoding the D2 dopamine receptor. The D1 receptor gene encodes a protein of 446 amino acids having a predicted relative molecular mass of 49,300 and a transmembrane topology similar to that of other G protein-coupled receptors. Transient or stable expression of the cloned gene in host cells established specific ligand binding and functional activity characteristic of a D1 dopamine receptor coupled to stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization revealed that the messenger RNA for this receptor is most abundant in caudate, nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle, with little or no mRNA detectable in substantia nigra, liver, kidney, or heart. Several observations from this work in conjunction with results from other studies are consistent with the idea that other D1 dopamine receptor subtypes may exist.

Neuropeptide content and connectivity of the rat claustrum.

The rat claustrum has a homogeneous distribution of the neuropeptides somatostatin (SOM), cholecystokinin (CCK) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) along its rostrocaudal axis. In general, neuropeptide levels are comparable to those of overlying pyriform cortex. Visualization of mRNA encoding SOM, CCK and VIP in cell bodies of the claustrum by in situ hybridization histochemistry demonstrates that all 3 neuropeptides are contained in intrinsic claustral neurons. Mid-coronal section of the claustrum itself, or interruption of potential rostral, caudal or medial connections between the claustrum and the rest of the brain did not significantly alter levels of VIP, SOM or CCK in claustrum, cerebral cortex, or basal ganglia. Isolation of the claustrum from the cerebral cortex immediately dorsal to it along its rostrocaudal aspect caused no change in peptide levels in claustrum indicating that VIP, SOM and CCK projections to claustrum do not arrive from dorsal cortical areas. Transection of the external capsule above the claustrum caused a 50-100% elevation of all 3 peptides on the contralateral side of the lesion, suggesting that VIP, SOM and CCK synthesis and/or release within the claustrum may be regulated by projections from the contralateral side. VIP, SOM and CCK are candidates for neurotransmitters contained in neurons whose cell bodies are within the claustrum and possibly also immediately overlying lateral neocortex, and have their terminals mainly within the claustrum itself.

Sigma receptor "antagonist" BMY 14802 increases neurotensin concentrations in the rat nucleus accumbens and caudate.

Acute and chronic treatment with antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol, selectively increases the concentrations of neurotensin (NT) in the nucleus accumbens and caudate of the rat. These increases in NT concentration in the nucleus accumbens and caudate have been hypothesized to underlie the therapeutic and extrapyramidal effects of antipsychotic drugs, respectively. The present study evaluates the effects of the putative antipsychotic and selective sigma receptor "antagonist" BMY 14802 on regional brain NT concentrations. NT concentrations in discrete brain regions of adult, male, Sprague-Dawley rats were measured by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. Like haloperidol (1 mg/kg i.p.), acute and chronic treatment with BMY 14802 (35 mg/kg/day i.p.) produced significant increases in the concentrations of NT in the nucleus accumbens and anterior and posterior caudate. This effect was dose-dependent. Maximal increases in NT concentration were observed 18 hr after a single dose of BMY 14802. Neither acute nor chronic treatment with the sigma "agonist" (+)-SKF 10,047 (20 mg/kg i.p.), the N-methyl-D-aspartate-phencyclidine binding site antagonist MK-801 (0.25 mg/kg i.p.) or the selective D2 antagonist sulpiride (100 mg/kg i.p.), produced the pattern of NT alterations observed after the administration of BMY 14802. These findings suggest that the blockade of sigma receptors modulates NT concentrations in these brain regions.

Sequence analysis, tissue distribution and regulation by cell depolarization, and second messengers of bovine secretogranin II (chromogranin C) mRNA.

Secretogranin II is a very acidic, tyrosine-sulfated protein found in secretory granules of cells belonging to the diffuse neuroendocrine system. It gained more general importance recently as a universal immunohistochemical marker for endocrine neoplasms. Sequence information was obtained from secretogranin II isolated from bovine anterior pituitaries, allowing the isolation of cDNA clones and deduction of its primary structure. Bovine secretogranin II is a 586-amino acid protein of 67,455 Da which is preceded by a signal peptide of 27 residues and contains 9 pairs of basic amino acids in its sequence which are used as potential cleavage sites for generation of physiologically active peptides. Moderately abundant mRNA levels were found in adrenal medulla, pituitary, hippocampus, and caudate. Secretogranin II message was absent from parathyroid gland, adrenal cortex, kidney, liver, and spleen. Depolarization of isolated chromaffin cells by various secretagogues significantly up-regulated secretogranin II mRNA levels by mechanisms distinct from those established for chromogranins and neuropeptides, components maintained along with secretogranin II in neuroendocrine storage vesicles.

Acute neuropathological changes in the caudate nucleus caused by MPTP and methamphetamine: immunohistochemical studies.

Three days after the administration of MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) or methamphetamine to mice, there is degeneration and disappearance of punctate tyrosine hydroxylase-containing synaptic endings in the caudate nucleus. The neuropil is occupied with longer, varicose, branching fibres, which appear to be preterminal fibres. An intense gliosis occurs. The sparsely-occurring glial cells, with profuse lightly-stained (by glial fibrillary acidic protein) processes which are primarily located near blood vessels, become transformed into more heavily-stained star-shaped cells with fewer but thicker processes. These cells are distributed throughout the caudate. Despite apparent differences in the mechanism by which MPTP and methamphetamine cause dopamine depletion, the neuropathological changes in the caudate induced by these substances are identical.

Purification and cDNA cloning of ARPP-16, a cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein enriched in basal ganglia, and of a related phosphoprotein, ARPP-19.

ARPP-16 (cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of Mr = 16,000) is a substrate for cAMP-dependent protein kinase and is enriched in the basal ganglia. ARPP-16 has been purified to homogeneity from the soluble fraction of bovine caudate nuclei. An additional substrate for cAMP-dependent protein kinase of Mr = 19,000 (ARPP-19) was found to cross-react with rabbit anti-serum prepared against purified ARPP-16. Immunological analysis indicated that ARPP-16 was enriched in the basal ganglia while ARPP-19 was present in similar levels in all brain regions studied and was also present in non-neuronal tissues. ARPP-19 was also purified to homogeneity from bovine caudate nucleus cytosol. Using oligonucleotide probes based on the partial amino acid sequence of purified ARPP-16, cDNA clones for ARPP-16 and ARPP-19 were isolated from a bovine caudate nucleus cDNA library and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequences of the two proteins were identical except that ARPP-19 had an additional 16 amino acids at the NH2-terminal. The two cDNA clones share an identical 3'-untranslated region of 756 nucleotides. The cDNA clone for ARPP-16 contained 806 additional nucleotides located 3' to this common sequence. The 5'-untranslated regions of the two clones were entirely different. The results suggest the possibility that ARPP-16 and ARPP-19 are produced by alternative transcription and splicing.

Distribution of DARPP-32 in the basal ganglia: an electron microscopic study.

DARPP-32, a dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, has been studied by light and electron microscopical immunocytochemistry in the rat caudatoputamen, globus pallidus and substantia nigra. In the caudatoputamen, DARPP-32 was present in neurons of the medium-sized spiny type. Immunoreactivity for DARPP-32 was present in dendritic spines, dendrites, perikaryal cytoplasm, most but not all nuclei, axons and a small number of axon terminals. Immunoreactive axon terminals in the caudatoputamen formed symmetrical synapses with immunolabeled dendritic shafts or somata. Neurons having indented nuclei were never immunoreactive. In the globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata, DARPP-32 was present in myelinated and unmyelinated axons and in axon terminals. The labelled axon terminals in these regions formed symmetrical synaptic contacts on unlabelled dendritic shafts or on unlabelled somata. These data suggest that DARPP-32 is present in striatal neurons of the medium-sized spiny type and that these DARPP-32-immunoreactive neurons form symmetrical synapses on target neurons in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. The presence of DARPP-32 in these striatal neurons and in their axon terminals suggests that DARPP-32 mediates part of the response of medium-size spiny neurons in the striatum to dopamine D-1 receptor activation.

Detection of synenkephalin, the amino-terminal portion of proenkephalin, by antisera directed against its carboxyl terminus.

Synenkephalin (SYN), the nonopioid amino-terminal portion of proenkephalin (PRO), is stable and well conserved in mammals and therefore a promising marker for PRO systems. We immunized rabbits with synthetic [Tyr63]SYN(63-70)-octapeptide, coupled by glutaraldehyde to bovine serum albumin. In radioimmunoassay (RIA) using antiserum no. 681, [Tyr63]SYN(63-70)-octapeptide as standard, and 125I-[Tyr63]SYN(63-70)-octapeptide as tracer, the IC50 was approximately 51 fmol/100-microliters sample at equilibrium or 12 fmol/100 microliters in disequilibrium, and the sensitivity was approximately 3 fmol/100 microliters. Cross-reactivity of the assay was 100% with [Cys63]SYN(63-70)-octapeptide and with bovine adrenal 8.6-kilodalton peptide digested with trypsin and carboxypeptidase B, but less than 0.1% with transforming growth factor-alpha, less than or equal to 2 x 10(-6) with Leu-Leu-Ala [SYN(68-70)-tripeptide], and much less than 10(-6) with all other peptides tested. Therefore in RIA this antiserum is specific for the free carboxyl terminus of SYN. Because the peptide detected after enzyme digestion is the complete SYN(63-70)-octapeptide, we refer to the RIA as an assay for SYN(63-70). Tissue extracts were made in 1 M acetic acid, dried, reconstituted in Tris-CaCl2, and digested sequentially with trypsin plus carboxypeptidase B. Extracts from bovine corpus striatum gave SYN(63-70) RIA dilution curves parallel to the standard curve both before and after digestion. Digestion increased the amount of immunoreactive SYN(63-70) in striatum by a factor of 1.5-2.0. The ratio of total immunoreactive [Met5]enkephalin to total immunoreactive SYN(63-70) (after sequential digestion) was approximately 6:1. At least 90% of the immunoreactive SYN(63-70) in extracts of bovine caudate nucleus eluted from Sephadex G-100 with an apparent molecular weight equal to that of bovine PRO(1-77). Using the new RIA we were able to detect and characterize SYN processing for the first time in extracts of whole rat brain, human globus pallidus, and human pheochromocytoma. Results in these tissues were similar to those in cattle, in that most stored SYN had been processed to a free carboxyl terminus. Since the C-terminal octapeptide of SYN is practically identical in all known mammalian PRO, antiserum no. 681 should be useful for detecting, measuring, and purifying SYN from various mammals, including human beings.

Importance of protein content in the edema fluid for the resolution of brain edema.

This study shows that there is a quantitative relation between the protein content of edema fluid and the rate of fluid clearance. Minimal clearance takes place during the first 3 days in the high albumin group. Thereafter, the majority of the fluid is cleared, and tissue water returns to normal values by 8 days. This appears to support an idea that the rate of clearance is in direct proportion to protein concentration. This also supports the findings of Kuroiwa et al. who showed a direct relation between protein extravasation and the increase of water in extracellular vasogenic edema. However, the rate of clearance does not in fact appear to be linear with time as the greater percentage of protein edema fluid is cleared after 3 days. This may be explained by the observations of Rasmussen and Klatzo and Bodsch and Hossmann who indicate that the composition of the extracellular protein may undergo various changes, similar to fragmentation, hence increasing the number of osmotically active particles so the pre-existing edema would remain stable or slightly increase. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the infusion model of edema can be applied to the rat for study of resolution dynamics. We have also shown that in this model, there is a proportional relation between protein concentration of the edema fluid and time necessary for clearance.

[Assay of nuclear triiodothyronine receptors in the precentral gyrus in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

Abnormality in the receptor of the cell might have some bearing on the selective cellular damage in systemic degenerative diseases. In relation to deranged metabolic turnover of the folate cycle in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we have measured nuclear triiodothyronine receptors (NT3R) in the precentral gyrus, stored at -80 degrees C after autopsy, of 4 ALS patients and 8 patients with non-neurological diseases. Cell nuclei were separated in bulk from about 1 g of grey matter by the method of Løvtrup-Rein & McEwen, and T3-binding assay was carried out by the method of Silva et al. DNA was measured by the method of Giles & Myers based on Burton's method. Specific bindings comprised more than 85% of total bindings. Scatchard analysis showed that the maximal binding capacity, namely the density of NT3R was significantly reduced in ALS, compared to that of the controls. The dissociation constant, namely the affinity was not different between the two groups. The present investigation suggests that NT3R may be reduced in the motoneuron of ALS patients, although the result might merely indicate the loss of nerve cells from the ALS motor cortex. This point should be clarified, but the bulk separation of pure nerve cell nuclei from autopsied human brain has not so far been successful in our laboratory. Action of thyroid hormone in the mature brain has not fully been clarified. Meanwhile, some investigators suggest that the metabolic state of the central nervous system of ALS has a tendency of hypothyroidism. Therefore, the relevance of thyroid hormone to pathogenesis or pathophysiology of ALS will be an important subject in future study.

What excitotoxin kills striatal neurons in Huntington's disease? Clues from neurochemical studies.

Amino acid analyses of both caudate nucleus and putamen obtained at autopsy from patients dying with Huntington's disease (HD), and from control subjects, showed significantly decreased mean glutamate contents in the HD patients. In addition, the mean glutamate concentration was significantly increased in the CSF of living HD patients as compared with controls. Neurochemical studies also showed that neither aspartic acid, proline, 5-oxoproline, nor homocysteic acid is likely to act as a causative excitotoxin in HD. Excessive striatal glycine content, or deficient glutathione content, is unlikely to contribute to the effects of a causative excitotoxin in HD. We suggest that glutamic acid may be the proximate causative neurotoxin in the striatum in HD, as a result of an unexplained failure in the reuptake mechanism for glutamate released there as an excitatory neurotransmitter.

Distribution of monoamines and metabolites in rabbit neostriatum, hippocampus and cortex.

The monoamines noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), adrenaline (AD) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were assayed in the putamen (PUT), the lateral (lCAU) and medial (mCAU) portions of the caudate, the dorsal (dHIP) and ventral (vHIP) hippocampus, as well as in four cortical areas, i.e., anterior cingulate (CIN), entorhinal-piriform (EnPi), sensorimotor (SSC; somatosensory) and primary visual (VIS). The use of an HPLC procedure enabled us to perform these measurements in microdissected samples and to assay as well monoamine metabolites. The DA levels were highest in the neostriatum, moderate in the EnPi and CIN and very low in the SSC, VIS and hippocampus. The distribution of NA was more uniform, although higher concentrations were measured in the neostriatum, hippocampus and EnPi. The largest amounts of 5-HT were in the EnPi, while moderate concentrations were found in the other regions. The ratios between the neurotransmitters and their metabolites were used as an index of turnover and indicate that the terminal fields of the monoamine systems are heterogenous within the neostriatal, hippocampal and cortical subdivisions.

Analysis of serotonin, dopamine and their metabolites in the caudate putamen, the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the median raphe nucleus of euthermic and torpid deermice, Peromyscus maniculatus.

Deermice, subjected to food rationing and low ambient temperature, were sacrificed in normothermia or during daily torpor. Levels of monoamines and their metabolites in the caudate putamen (CPN), the suprachiasmatic nuclear area (SCN), and the median raphe nucleus (MRN) were quantified through the use of HPLC with electrochemical detection. Significant elevations in levels (pg/mg protein) of the serotonin (5-HT) metabolite, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) were noted in torpid individuals in all nuclei examined. The dopamine (DA) metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA) was significantly elevated in the CPN and MRN of torpid individuals. Moreover, a significant increase in the HVA to DA ratio was also noted in the CPN and the MRN. In the SCN, the concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), 5-HT, DA and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were also increased significantly during torpor. These significant elevations suggest that an increase in the activity of the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems occurs in these nuclei during daily torpor in the deermouse.

Striatal phosphoproteins in Parkinson disease and progressive supranuclear palsy.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the levels of cAMP-regulated phosphoproteins in the striatum of patients with neurodegenerative diseases of the dopaminergic system. Postmortem samples of caudate nucleus and putamen from 24 control subjects, 23 patients with Parkinson disease, and 13 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy were studied with immunoblotting techniques. The levels of tyrosine hydroxylase were reduced in patients with Parkinson disease (levels were 24% and 10% of controls in caudate nucleus and putamen, respectively) and with progressive supranuclear palsy (levels were 11% and 6% of controls in caudate nucleus and putamen, respectively). Five phosphoproteins, which are present in striatal neurons and are likely to play a role in the postsynaptic actions of dopamine, were measured. These included ARPP-16, ARPP-19, ARPP-21 (cAMP-regulated phosphoproteins of Mr 16,000, 19,000, and 21,000, respectively), DARPP-32 (dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of Mr 32,000), and phosphatase inhibitor I. The levels of these phosphoproteins were inversely correlated with postmortem delay. In brains of patients with Parkinson disease or progressive supranuclear palsy with postmortem delays comparable to those of controls, the levels of these proteins as well as those of synaptic (synapsin I and synaptophysin) and glial (glial fibrillary acidic protein and myelin basic protein) markers were not significantly modified. We conclude that the levels of several phosphoproteins involved in signal transduction in striatal neurons are not altered in Parkinson disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. This observation supports the view that the striatal output neurons are intact in both diseases.

ARPP-21, a cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein enriched in dopamine-innervated brain regions. I. Purification and characterization of the protein from bovine caudate nucleus.

ARPP-21 (cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr = 21,000 as determined by SDS/PAGE) is a major cytosolic substrate for cAMP-stimulated protein phosphorylation in dopamine-innervated regions of rat CNS (Walaas et al., 1983c). This acidic phosphoprotein has now been identified in bovine caudate nucleus cytosol and purified to homogeneity from this source. The purification procedure involved diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography, ammonium sulfate fractionation, phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography, and fast protein liquid chromatography using Mono Q anion-exchange resin. Two isoforms of ARPP-21 (ARPP-21A and ARPP-21B) were obtained, which were present in approximately equal amounts in the starting material. ARPP-21A was purified 2610-fold with a final yield of 20% and ARPP-21B was purified 2940-fold with a final yield of 21%. The purified preparations of both isoforms were judged to be homogenous by SDS/PAGE. ARPP-21A and ARPP-21B yielded identical 2-dimensional thin-layer tryptic phosphopeptide maps, identical amino acid compositions and closely related, but distinct, reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatograms of tryptic digests. The amino acid composition of ARPP-21 showed a high content of glutamic acid/glutamine, and no methionine, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, or histidine. ARPP-21 was stable to heat denaturation and to 50% (vol/vol) ethanol treatment and was partially soluble at pH 2. The Mr determined for ARPP-21 by SDS/PAGE was 21,000. The Stokes radius of ARPP-21 was 26.3 A, and the sedimentation coefficient of ARPP-21 was 1.3 S; these values yield a calculated molecular mass of 13,700 Da and a frictional ratio of 1.7, indicative of an elongated tertiary structure. ARPP-21 was an excellent substrate for cAMP-dependent protein kinase and was either not phosphorylated or only poorly phosphorylated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, casein kinase II, or protein kinase C. The purified catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalyzed the incorporation of 1.2 mol phosphate/mol purified ARPP-21. Phosphorylation occurred exclusively on seryl residues. Phospho-ARPP-21 was dephosphorylated effectively by protein phosphatase-1 or -2A, but not by protein phosphatase-2B or -2C. Rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal antibodies were prepared to purified ARPP-21. These antibodies specifically immunoprecipitated ARPP-21, which was found to be highly enriched in the caudate nucleus and putamen of monkey brain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Alzheimer's disease: the glial reaction is general and severe in all areas of the central nervous system]. / Maladie d'Alzheimer: la réaction gliale est générale et intense dans tous les territoires du système nerveux central.

GFAP (Glial Fibrillary Acidic protein) was quantified in unfractionated homogenates of different brain regions from 10 Alzheimer patients versus 25 controls using immunoblot techniques and anti-human GFAP. There was a strong increase of GFAP in the brain regions that contained the characteristic Alzheimer lesions. This corresponds to the "astrocytic gliosis". Moreover, there was a 11 fold GFAP increase (p less than 0.001) in the other regions of the Alzheimer brains that do not present the Alzheimer pathology, such as caudate nucleus, cerebellum or brain stem. Different from the gliosis, the physiological signification of such an increase in the whole brain is unknown, but it might reflect the prominent part played by astrocytes during Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Purification of brain D2 dopamine receptor.

D2 dopamine receptors have been extracted from bovine brain using the detergent cholate and purified approximately 20,000-fold by affinity chromatography on haloperidol-sepharose and wheat germ agglutinin-agarose columns. The purified preparation contains D2 dopamine receptors as judged by the pharmacological specificity of [3H]spiperone binding to the purified material. The sp. act. of [3H]spiperone binding in the purified preparation is 2.5 nmol/mg protein. The purified preparation shows a major diffuse band at Mr 95,000 upon SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and there is evidence for microheterogeneity either at the protein or glycosylation level. Photoaffinity labelling of D2 dopamine receptors also shows a species of Mr 95,000. The D2 dopamine receptor therefore is a glycoprotein of Mr 95,000.

Free amino acids in the brain of patients with Parkinson's disease.

To study free brain amino acids and their relation to dementia, the levels of glutamate, glutamate, asparagine, aspartate, glycine, taurine, homocarnosine and gamma-aminobutyric acid were determined in the temporal cortex and caudate nucleus in demented and non-demented patients with Parkinson's disease. In the temporal cortex, the levels of aspartate and asparagine were significantly increased in non-demented parkinsonian patients as compared both to demented patients and to controls. In the caudate nucleus no significant changes in amino acid levels were seen. Thus, the cortical and striatal glutamate/aspartate systems seem to be preserved in dementia in Parkinson's disease.

Quantitative radioimmunohistochemical method using [125I]-protein A to measure the content of methionine enkephalin in discrete rat brain areas.

We report a quantitative radioimmunohistochemical method, using [125I]-protein A in combination with a specific antibody to methionine enkephalin (Met-enk), for determination of the content of this peptide in discrete areas of rat brain. After paraformaldehyde fixation, rat brain sections were incubated with a Met-enk polyclonal antibody, followed by incubation with [125I]-protein A. After autoradiography with 3H-sensitive Ultrofilm, optical densities (OD) were quantified by computerized microdensitometry. The OD obtained were compared to a standard curve, constructed after determination by radioimmunoassay of the Met-enk content in corresponding brain areas from adjacent tissue sections. After comparing 15 different brain areas over a ninetyfold range of concentrations, we found a linear relationship between the content of Met-enk, as determined by radioimmunoassay, and the OD generated by autoradiography. The content of Met-enk in other discrete brain areas can be quantified by interpolation of the OD determined by autoradiography in the standard curve. The method allows, for the first time, precise quantification of peptide concentrations in discrete areas and nuclei from thin sections of rat brain. This technique has a more than 100-fold higher sensitivity than classical radioimmunoassays, with the additional advantage of neuroanatomical localization. It also has the potential for application to the quantification of many other antigens present in brain and other tissues.

Biochemical analysis of caudate nucleus biopsy samples from parkinsonian patients.

Biochemical analyses of caudate nucleus biopsy samples from patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing autologous adrenal transplantation were performed. Activity of the dopamine biosynthetic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, and concentrations of dopamine and its primary metabolite homovanillic acid were significantly greater than anticipated on the basis of previously published postmortem values. These data suggest that postmortem changes in various biochemical parameters of dopamine function are more rapid than has been generally appreciated. Further analysis of striatal biopsy samples may reveal predictive relationships between striatal indices of dopamine function and therapeutic response to adrenal transplantation.