BDNF gene expression is reduced in the frontal cortex of dopamine transporter knockout mice

BDNF is an important regulator of brain development and plasticity, and changes in its expression can be associated to neuropsychiatric disorders. Since dysregulation of dopamine transmission is considered central to these conditions, the authors investigated BDNF expression in dopamine transporter knockout mice (DAT-/-). They demonstrate that altered homeostasis of the dopaminergic system drastically reduces BDNF expression in the frontal cortex during development and adulthood. These results suggest that dopamine-BDNF interaction might be relevant for the impairment in synaptic plasticity associated to neuropsychiatric disorders.