Decarboxylation of L-dopa by cultured mouse astrocytes.

Cultured astrocytes contain immunologically specific aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) protein and express the AADC gene. Following incubation with L-Dopa, glial cultures synthesize and metabolize dopamine. The addition of pyridoxal 5-phosphate did not change the rate of dopamine synthesis. The formation of dopamine was blocked by NSD-1015. These experiments show that mouse cultured astrocytes are capable to convert L-Dopa into dopamine in a dose-dependent fashion.