Neuron
Volume 65, Issue 3, 11 February 2010, Pages 320-327
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The Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Produced by Diacylglycerol Lipase α Mediates Retrograde Suppression of Synaptic Transmission

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Summary

Endocannabinoids are released from postsynaptic neurons and cause retrograde suppression of synaptic transmission. Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are regarded as two major endocannabinoids. To determine to what extent 2-AG contributes to retrograde signaling, we generated and analyzed mutant mice lacking either of the two 2-AG synthesizing enzymes diacylglycerol lipase α (DGLα) and β (DGLβ). We found that endocannabinoid-mediated retrograde synaptic suppression was totally absent in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and striatum of DGLα knockout mice, whereas the retrograde suppression was intact in DGLβ knockout brains. The basal 2-AG content was markedly reduced and stimulus-induced elevation of 2-AG was absent in DGLα knockout brains, whereas the 2-AG content was normal in DGLβ knockout brains. Morphology of the brain and expression of molecules required for 2-AG production other than DGLs were normal in the two knockout mice. We conclude that 2-AG produced by DGLα, but not by DGLβ, mediates retrograde suppression at central synapses.

Highlights

► 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) mediates retrograde synaptic suppression in the CNS ► 2-AG is produced almost exclusively by diacylglycerol lipase α (DGLα) ► The other 2-AG synthesizing enzyme, DGLβ, has no contribution to synaptic modulation ► No evidence for anandamide as a retrograde messenger for synaptic suppression

MOLNEURO
SYSNEURO
SIGNALING

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These authors contributed equally to this work