Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area are the main source of dopamine in the brain. They send out projections to a variety of forebrain structures, including dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex (PFC), establishing the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, and mesoprefrontal pathways, respectively. The dopaminergic input to the PFC is essential for the performance of higher cognitive functions such as working memory, attention, planning, and decision making. The gradual maturation of these cognitive skills during postnatal development correlates with the maturation of PFC local circuits, which undergo a lengthy functional remodeling process during the neonatal and adolescence stage. During this period, the mesoprefrontal dopaminergic innervation also matures: the fibers are rather sparse at prenatal stages and slowly increase in density during postnatal development to finally reach a stable pattern in early adulthood. Despite the prominent role of dopamine in the regulation of PFC function, relatively little is known about how the dopaminergic innervation is established in the PFC, whether and how it influences the maturation of local circuits and how exactly it facilitates cognitive functions in the PFC. In this review, we provide an overview of the development of the mesoprefrontal dopaminergic system in rodents and primates and discuss the role of altered dopaminergic signaling in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Leora Yetnikoff, College of Staten Island, United States Raj Awatramani, Northwestern University, United States
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area are the main source of dopamine in the brain
Degeneration of a subset of Midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons underlies the motor deficits in Parkinson’s disease, while altered dopamine (DA) transmission is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia, autism, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and substance abuse (Del Campo et al, 2011; Volkow and Morales, 2015; Grace, 2016; Surmeier et al, 2017; Marotta et al, 2020; Sonnenschein et al, 2020). mDA neurons are located in the ventral midbrain where they form the A8, A9, and A10 group
Summary
Reviewed by: Leora Yetnikoff, College of Staten Island, United States Raj Awatramani, Northwestern University, United States. Midbrain dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area are the main source of dopamine in the brain They send out projections to a variety of forebrain structures, including dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex (PFC), establishing the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, and mesoprefrontal pathways, respectively. In the adult rodent brain, mesoprefrontal mDA neurons are primarily localized in the medial and ventral VTA region and LiN (Lammel et al, 2011; Yamaguchi et al, 2011; Figure 1A) These mesoprefrontal mDA neurons differ in their molecular profile (e.g., express low levels of dopamine transporter) and in their electrophysiological properties from other mDA neurons, indicating that they form a distinct subclass of mDA neurons (Lammel et al, 2011). An analysis of SLC17A6 expression in marmosets and humans demonstrates that mDA neurons in the lateral VTA and LiN co-express vGLUT2 in primates, but whether these co-expressing cells are part of the mesoprefrontal DA system is unknown (Root et al, 2016)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
