Abstract: Since the 1960s, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-dopa), a precursor of dopamine, has been thought to occur in the cytoplasm of catecholaminergic neurones. l-Dopa is traditionally believed to be an inert amino acid that exerts actions and effectiveness in Parkinson's disease via its conversion to dopamine by l-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase. In contrast to this generally accepted idea, Yoshimi Misu and Yoshio Goshima propose, in this Viewpoint article, that l-dopa itself is an endogenous neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in the CNS. This hypothesis is mainly based on the findings that l-dopa is released in a transmitter-like manner and that exogenously applied levodopa produces some responses.
Publication Year: 1993
Publication Date: 1993-04-01
Language: en
Type: review
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 119
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