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The Sustained Phase of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Activation In vivo

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Abstract

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway for catecholamine synthesis. Stress triggers an increase in TH activity, resulting in increased release of catecholamines from both neurons and the adrenal medulla. In response to stress three phases of TH activation have been identified (acute, sustained and chronic) and each phase has a unique mechanism. The acute and chronic phases have been studied in vivo in a number of animal models, but to date the sustained phase has only been characterised in vitro. We aimed to investigate the effects of dual exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in neonatal rats on TH protein, TH phosphorylation at serine residues 19, 31 and 40 and TH activity in the adrenal gland over the sustained phase. Wistar rats were administered LPS (0.05 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) or an equivolume of non-pyrogenic saline on days 3 and 5 postpartum. Adrenal glands were collected at 4, 24 and 48 h after the drug exposure on day 5. Neonatal LPS treatment resulted in increases in TH phosphorylation of Ser40 at 4 and 24 h, TH phosphorylation of Ser31 at 24 h, TH activity at 4 and 24 h and TH protein at 48 h. We therefore have provided evidence for the first time that TH phosphorylation at Ser31 and Ser40 occurs for up to 24 h in vivo and leads to TH activation independent of TH protein synthesis, suggesting that the sustained phase of TH activation occurs in vivo.

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Abbreviations

2DG:

2-deoxy-d-glucose

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

PND:

Postnatal day

Ser:

Serine residue

TBST:

Tris-buffered saline with Tween

TH:

Tyrosine hydroxylase,

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Hunter Medical Research Institute and University of Newcastle, Australia.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Lin Kooi Ong, Phillip W. Dickson & Peter R. Dunkley

  2. Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Faculty of Science and IT, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Luba Sominsky & Deborah M. Hodgson

Authors
  1. Lin Kooi Ong
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  2. Luba Sominsky
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  3. Phillip W. Dickson
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  4. Deborah M. Hodgson
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  5. Peter R. Dunkley
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Correspondence to Peter R. Dunkley.

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Ong, L.K., Sominsky, L., Dickson, P.W. et al. The Sustained Phase of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Activation In vivo. Neurochem Res 37, 1938–1943 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0812-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0812-3

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