Decreased phosphorylation of GAP-43/B-50 in striatal synaptic plasma membranes after circling motor activity

The effects of spontaneous circling motor activity on the in vitro phosphorylation of the protein kinase C substrate GAP-43/B-50 was studied on striatal membranes of developing rats (30 days of age). At this time of postnatal development, permanent plastic changes in cholinergic and dopaminergic systems are produced by physiological motor activity. Exercised animals showed a significant reduction of 31% in the level of GAP-43/B-50 endogenous phosphorylation in the contralateral striatum respect to the ipsilateral side (P < 0.01), while control animals did not show asymmetric differences. Compared to controls, the contralateral striatum of exercised animals showed a 33% reduction in the incorporation of 32P-phosphate into GAP-43/B-50 30 minutes post-exercise (P < 0.01). This change in GAP-43/B-50 phosphorylation was correlated with the running speed developed by the animals (r:0.8986, P = 0.015). GAP-43/B-50 immunoblots revealed no changes in the amount of this protein in any group. Moreover, a significant variation of 25% (P < 0.05) in the PKC activity was seen between both exercised striata. Interhemispheric differences were not found in control animals. We conclude that endogenous phosphorylation of this protein is also altered by motor activity in the same period that permanent changes in striatal neuroreceptors are triggered after motor training.