It was a new word that neuroscientist R. Douglas Fields encountered one night as he read his copy of Science. The word refers to the ability of the neurotransmitter dopamine to enter a cell’s nucleus and control genes. That’s right. Dopamine apparently can control the genes in one’s body.
As I read the paper, I realized that it completely upends our understanding of genetics and drug addiction. The intense craving for addictive drugs like alcohol and cocaine may be caused by dopamine controlling genes that alter the brain circuitry underlying addiction. Intriguingly, the results also suggest an answer to why drugs that treat major depression must typically be taken for weeks before they’re effective. I was shocked by the dramatic discovery…
Learn more about dopaminylation, and how this could be used in future studies, over at Quanta Magazine.
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