PDE10

PDE10A (phosphodiesterase 10A) is a dual-substrate phosphodiesterase that hydrolyzes both cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), thereby regulating intracellular cyclic nucleotide signaling in neurons[1][2]. The enzyme is highly enriched in striatal medium spiny neurons and functions as a key regulator of signal integration downstream of dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission within basal ganglia circuits[2][3]. Mechanistically, PDE10A controls cAMP/PKA-dependent signaling and modulates phosphorylation events associated with neuronal responsiveness, corticostriatal transmission, and striatal output pathways[3]. In experimental systems, inhibition of PDE10A elevates cyclic nucleotide signaling in both striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons, influencing dopamine D1- and D2-receptor-associated signaling networks[3]. Disease relevance has been established primarily in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders involving striatal dysfunction, including schizophrenia and Huntington’s disease, where altered PDE10A signaling has been linked to abnormalities in corticostriatal function and neuronal activity[4][5]. Compared with other phosphodiesterase isoforms such as PDE4, PDE10A exhibits a distinctive expression pattern concentrated in medium spiny neurons and predominantly regulates cyclic nucleotide signaling within these cells rather than at dopaminergic terminals[3]. For experimental applications, selective PDE10A inhibitors have been widely used to investigate striatal signaling, basal ganglia circuitry, and cyclic nucleotide-dependent mechanisms, making PDE10A a valuable molecular target for mechanistic neuroscience research[3][4].