Immunohistochemical studies on phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase in central catecholamine neurons using antibodies raised to phosphorylated forms of the enzyme

Abstract

Antibodies raised to phosphorylated forms of tyrosine hydroxylase, the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the catecholamine biosynthesis, were applied in immunohistochemical studies on rat brain slices incubated in vitro with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, IBMX) and forskolin on formalin-perfused rat brains. Four antisera/antibodies were used: polyclonal rabbit antisera to (i) tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylated at serine 40 (THS40p antiserum), (ii) tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylated at serine 19 (THS19p antiserum), (iii) to the native enzyme (pan-tyrosine hydroxylase antiserum), and mouse monoclonal antibody to (iv) native tyrosine hydroxylase. In the in vitro studies THS40p-like immunoreactivity was not observed unless slices were treated with IBMX–forskolin after which a dense fibre network was found in the striatum, and immunoreactive cell bodies were found in the ventral mesencephalon, especially in the ventral tegmental area. Although these cells were pan-tyrosine hydroxylase-positive, several of them were not stained with the tyrosine hydroxylase-monoclonal antibody. Moreover, there was a marked reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase-monoclonal antibody-immunoreactive fibres in drug-treated slices, suggesting that this tyrosine hydroxylase-monoclonal antibody does not recognize the Serine 40-phosphorylated form of tyrosine hydroxylase. Treated slices did not show any THS40p-immunoreactive cell bodies in the dopaminergic A11 cell group and only a few, weakly fluorescent neurons were observed in locus coeruleus. However, a sparse fibre lexus was observed in locus coeruleus, possibly reflecting epinephrine fibres. In the perfused brains THS40p-like immunoreactivity could be visualized in some dopamine neurons in the ventral mesencephalon, especially the A10 area, and in noradrenergic locus coeruleus neurons, whereas THS19p-like immunoreactivity was found in all catecholamine groups studied, similar to the results obtained with the pan-tyrosine hydroxylase antiserum and the tyrosine hydroxylase-monoclonal antibody. In forebrain areas known to be innervated by mesencephalic dopamine neurons, no THS40p-positive fibres were observed, whereas THS19p-immunoreactive fibres were found in subregions of the striatum, olfactory tubercle and nucleus accumbens, essentially overlapping with dopamine fibres previously shown to contain cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity. The present results suggest that antibodies directed against phosphorylated forms of tyrosine hydroxylase can be used to evaluate the state of tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation in individual neuronal cell bodies and processes both in vitro and in vivo.