Neurotoxins as Tools in Neurobiology

This chapter discusses neurotoxins as tools in neurobiology by discussing 6-Hydroxydopamine, a neurotoxin which will destroy catecholamine neurons and is not taken up into serotonergic, GABA-ergic, cholinergic, or other known types of neurons.

Abstract

This chapter discusses neurotoxins as tools in neurobiology. Nonselective neurotoxins are extremely valuable to neuroscientists. Some neurotoxins show some specificity for certain types of neurons or certain types of receptors and particularly by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and the excitotoxic amino acids such as kainic acid. The chemical identity of the transmitter used by a particular neuron is a characteristic of that neuron, which is of as great or greater importance than the anatomical localization and morphological features frequently used for neuronal classification. Studies of the physiology, functions, and interconnections of neurons using a particular transmitter substance would be greatly facilitated if a neurotoxin could be found, which was selectively lethal to neurons of that particular biochemical type. The best example found yet of a neurotoxin with this type of selectivity is 6-Hydroxydopamine. It will destroy catecholamine neurons, apparently because the close similarity between its structure and of the catecholamine neurotransmitters allows it to be transported into catecholamine neurons by the same selective high-affinity uptake system responsible for the re-uptake of the catecholamines. The neurotoxin 6-Hydroxydopamine is not taken up into serotonergic, GABA-ergic, cholinergic, or other known types of neurons.