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1: J Neurosci. 2006 Mar 8;26(10):2814-9.Click here to read Links

D-aspartate regulates melanocortin formation and function: behavioral alterations in D-aspartate oxidase-deficient mice.

Huang AS, Beigneux A, Weil ZM, Kim PM, Molliver ME, Blackshaw S, Nelson RJ, Young SG, Snyder SH.

Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.

D-aspartate, an abundant D-amino acid enriched in neuroendocrine tissues, can be degraded by D-aspartate oxidase (Ddo). To elucidate the function of D-aspartate, we generated mice with targeted deletion of Ddo (Ddo(-/-)) and observe massive but selective augmentations of D-aspartate in various tissues. The pituitary intermediate lobe, normally devoid of D-aspartate from endogenous Ddo expression, manifests pronounced increases of immunoreactive D-aspartate in Ddo(-/-) mice. Ddo(-/-) mice show markedly diminished synthesis and levels of pituitary proopiomelanocortin/alpha-MSH, associated with decreased melanocortin-dependent behaviors. Therefore, Ddo is the endogenous enzyme that degrades D-aspartate, and Ddo-enriched organs, low in D-aspartate, may represent areas of high turnover where D-aspartate may be physiologically important.

PMID: 16525061 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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