ABSTRACT
The mechanisms for transcriptional regulation of PDE10A expression in striatum and hippocampus remain to be determined. Lack of restriction of rotation for this conserved glutamine residue has also been proposed to account for dual substrate specificity in other Phosphodiesterase. The behavioral effects of PDE10A inhibition are reminiscent of those of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists. The high level of PDE10A expression in striatal medium spiny neurons suggests that a principal physiological function of the enzyme is in the regulation of cyclic nucleotide signaling within these neurons. PDE10A protein is also expressed at lower levels in a number of other neuronal populations, consistent with the presence of low levels of PDE10A mRNA. Initial surveys using Northern blot and dot blot analyses indicated that PDE10A mRNA is highly expressed only in brain and testis. Numerous splice variants derived from the single PDE10A gene have been identified in human, mouse, and rat.
