DDC

Case study 1: Nikolaos S Lotsios, 2023

Oxidative stress is known to influence mRNA levels, translation, and proteolysis. The importance of oxidative stress has been demonstrated in several human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. L-Dopa decarboxylase (DDC) is the enzyme that converts L-Dopa to dopamine (DA). In spite of a large number of studies, little is known about the biological significance of the enzyme under physiological and pathological conditions.

Here, the researchers investigated the relationship between DDC expression and oxidative stress in human neural and non-neural cells. The data indicated that mRNA and protein expression of DDC was enhanced or remained stable under conditions of ROS induction, despite degradation of total RNA and increased cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Moreover, DDC silencing caused an increase in the H2O2-induced cytotoxicity.

Fig1. Effect of H2O2 on the expression of DDC protein in HEK-293 cells.

Fig2. Western blot analysis performed using anti-DDC and anti-Actin antibodies in HEK-293 cell lysates, following H2O2 exposure at the indicated concentrations for 24 h.

Case study 2: Michael V Ugrumov, 2022

Since the 1980s, the concept of dopamine-rich brain centers as clusters of only dopaminergic neurons has been fundamentally revised. It has been shown that, in addition to dopaminergic neurons, most of these centers contain neurons expressing one of the enzymes of dopamine synthesis: tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC).

The researchers have obtained convincing evidence that in rats, the hypothalamic periventricular nucleus (PeVN) is one of the largest dopamine-rich centers, containing dopaminergic and monoenzymatic neurons. Indeed, using double immunostaining for TH and AADC, the PeVN was shown to contain almost three thousand dopaminergic and monoenzymatic neurons. ccording to confocal microscopy, neurons (cell bodies, fibers), which were immunopositive only to TH, only to AADC, or both, are in close topographic relationships with each other and with the 3rd ventricle. These data suggest the mutual regulation of the neurons, as well as the delivery of dopamine and L-DOPA to the third ventricle, which is confirmed by their detection in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Fig3. Observations in a confocal microscope of contacts of nerve fibers immunopositive.

Fig4. Number of neurons that were immunopositive.

Fig1. Regulation of dopamine biosynthesis in the gut microbiota by BBR. (Kaifei Xu, 2023)

Fig2. (A) The conventional theory of catecholamine synthesis in exclusively DA-producing PPGL. (B) Possibility of exclusively L-DOPA-overproducing PGL. (Masahiro Nezu, 2023)

DDC involved in several pathways and played different roles in them. We selected most pathways DDC participated on our site, such as Alcoholism, Amine-derived hormones, Biogenic Amine Synthesis, which may be useful for your reference. Also, other proteins which involved in the same pathway with DDC were listed below. Creative BioMart supplied nearly all the proteins listed, you can search them on our site.

DDC has several biochemical functions, for example, L-dopa decarboxylase activity, amino acid binding, aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase activity. Some of the functions are cooperated with other proteins, some of the functions could acted by DDC itself. We selected most functions DDC had, and list some proteins which have the same functions with DDC. You can find most of the proteins on our site.

DDC has direct interactions with proteins and molecules. Those interactions were detected by several methods such as yeast two hybrid, co-IP, pull-down and so on. We selected proteins and molecules interacted with DDC here. Most of them are supplied by our site. Hope this information will be useful for your research of DDC.

AR; Ar; ATF6; RELA