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Members of the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2) family of proteins are involved in synaptic function throughout the brain. The ubiquitously expressed SV2A has been widely implicated in epilepsy, although SV2C with its restricted basal ganglia distribution is poorly characterized. SV2C is emerging as a potentially relevant protein in Parkinson disease (PD), because it is a genetic modifier of sensitivity to L-DOPA and of nicotine neuroprotection in PD. Here we identify SV2C as a mediator of dopamine homeostasis and report that disrupted expression of SV2C within the basal ganglia is a pathological feature of PD. Genetic deletion of SV2C leads to reduced dopamine release in the dorsal striatum as measured by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, reduced striatal dopamine content, disrupted α-synuclein expression, deficits in motor function, and alterations in neurochemical effects of nicotine. Furthermore, SV2C expression is dramatically altered in postmortem brain tissue from PD cases but not in Alzheimer disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, or multiple system atrophy. This disruption was paralleled in mice overexpressing mutated α-synuclein. These data establish SV2C as a mediator of dopamine neuron function and suggest that SV2C disruption is a unique feature of PD that likely contributes to dopaminergic dysfunction.

A 61-year-old woman presented with a painful cystic lump on the dorsum of her right thumb. The lump had been present for about 1 year and had slowly increased in size. In the week prior, it became painful and firm. The patient had no other symptoms or lesions. She did not work in a garden, have pets, or experience any trauma to the finger. The lesion had not been treated.

It has long been recognized that olfaction and emotion are linked. While chemosensory research using both human and rodent models have indicated a change in emotion can contribute to olfactory dysfunction, there are few studies addressing the contribution of olfaction to a modulation in emotion. In mice, olfactory deficits have been linked with heightened anxiety levels, suggesting that there could be an inverse relationship between olfaction and anxiety. Furthermore, increased anxiety is often co-morbid with psychiatric conditions such as attention disorders. Our study aimed to investigate the roles of olfaction in modulating anxiety. Voltage-gated potassium ion channel Kv1.3 knockout mice (Kv1.3-/-), which have heightened olfaction, and wild-type (WT) mice were examined for anxiety-like behaviors using marble burying (MB), light-dark box (LDB) and elevated-plus maze (EPM) tests. Because Kv1.3-/- mice have increased locomotor activity, inattentive and hyperactive behaviors were quantified for both genotypes. Kv1.3-/- mice showed increased anxiety levels compared to their WT counterparts and administration of methylphenidate (MPH) via oral gavage alleviated their increased anxiety. Object-based attention testing indicated young and older Kv1.3-/- mice had attention deficits and treatment with MPH also ameliorated this condition. Locomotor testing through use of a metabolic chamber indicated that Kv1.3-/- mice were not significantly hyperactive and MPH treatment failed to modify this activity. Our data suggest that heightened olfaction does not necessarily lead to decreased anxiety levels, and that Kv1.3-/- mice may have behaviors associated with inattentiveness.

A poem is presented.