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Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Environmental Modulations of the Number of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons in Adult Mice
Published on: January 20, 2015
MC4R expression in pedunculopontine nucleus involved in the modulation of midbrain dopamine system
Yan Hao1, Xue-Bi Tian2, Tao-Tao Liu2
1Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
Background And Objective:
Separate studies have implicated the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) in processing aversive stimuli to dopamine systems, and melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) are broadly expressed by the neurons in the PPTg, but the exact neurosubstrate underlying the regulation of dopamine systems by the central melanocortin pathway is poorly understood.
Methods:
In this study, the PPTg of 6 adult mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the MC4R promoter was detected by fluorescence immunohistochemistry.
Results:
A large number of GFP-positive neurons in the dissipated parts of PPTg (dpPPTg) were found, and approximately 50% of MC4R-GFP- positive neurons in the dpPPTg coexpressed tyrosine hydroxylase, a marker of dopamine neurons, indicating that they were dopaminergic.
Conclusions:
Our findings support the hypothesis that MC4R signaling in the dpPPTg may involve in the modulation of midbrain dopamine systems.
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