Table 2.
mRNA expression of serotonin- and dopamine-related genes in islets from db/db mice. Total RNA was extracted from a pool of 335 and 312 islets from WT (n = 11) and db/db (n = 12) male mice, respectively. Relative mRNA levels of genes related to the monoamines (MAs) biosynthesis, degradation, and transport were evaluated by RT-qPCR using custom RT-Profiler. The mRNA levels are expressed as fold-change in 2−ΔCt of the specific gene in islets from db/db relative to WT mice (see Section 2).
| Gene | Name | Islets Cts in | Fold change | Related pathway | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WT | db/db | ||||
| Tph1 | Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 | 33.29 | 35 | 0.38 | Serotonin biosynthetic pathway |
| Tph2 | Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 | 31.04 | 30.27 | 2.10 | Serotonin biosynthetic pathway |
| Ddc | Dopa decarboxylase | 22.7 | 21.97 | 2.04 | MAs biosynthetic pathway |
| Aanat | Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase | 31.37 | 30.05 | 3.07 | Melatonin biosynthetic pathway |
| Asmt | Acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase | >35 | >35 | Not expressed | Melatonin biosynthetic pathway |
| Th | Tyrosine hydroxylase | 28.11 | 29.13 | 0.61 | Adrenergic biosynthetic pathway |
| Dbh | Dopamine beta hydroxylase | 33.94 | 35.00 | 0.59 | Adrenergic biosynthetic pathway |
| Maoa | Monoamine oxidase A | 28.33 | 28.94 | 0.81 | MAs degradative enzymes |
| Maob | Monoamine oxidase B | 23.43 | 25.17 | 0.37 | MAs degradative enzymes |
| Comt | Catechol-O-methyltransferase | 24.4 | 24.29 | 1.30 | MAs degradative enzymes |
| Slc6a3 | Solute carrier family 6, member 3 | >35 | >35 | Not expressed | Dopamine transporter |
| Slc6a4 | Solute carrier family 6, member 4 | 33.17 | 35.00 | 0.35 | Serotonin transporter |
| Slc18a1 | Solute carrier family 18, member 1; Vmat1 | 27.29 | 26.57 | 2.03 | MAs transporters |
| Slc18a2 | Solute carrier family 18, member 2; Vmat2 | 30.30 | 29.05 | 2.93 | MAs transporters |