ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 09 November 2020 doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.578443 Selective Knockout of the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 (Vmat2) Gene in Calbindin2/Calretinin-Positive Neurons Results in Profound Changes in Behavior and Response to Drugs of Abuse 1 1† 2 1 Edited by: Niclas König , Zisis Bimpisidis , Sylvie Dumas and Åsa Wallén-Mackenzie * Nuno Sousa, 1Unit of Comparative Physiology, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 2Oramacell, University of Minho, Portugal Paris, France Reviewed by: Ali Salahpour, University of Toronto, Canada The vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) has a range of functions in the Louis-Eric Trudeau, central nervous system, from sequestering toxins to providing conditions for the quantal Université de Montréal, Canada release of monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Monoamine signaling regulates diverse *Correspondence: functions from arousal to mood, movement, and motivation, and dysregulation of Åsa Wallén-Mackenzie
[email protected] VMAT2 function is implicated in various neuropsychiatric diseases. While all monoamine- releasing neurons express the Vmat2 gene, only a subset is positive for the calcium- †Present address: Zisis Bimpisidis, binding protein Calbindin 2 (Calb2; aka Calretinin, 29 kDa Calbindin). We recently Department of Neuroscience and showed that about half of the dopamine neurons in the mouse midbrain are positive Brain Technologies, Istitito Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy for Calb2 and that Calb2 is an early developmental marker of