We used an antibody to protocadherin 10 (PCDH10), which is known to play a role in the development of striatal axons and thalamocortical projections (Uemura et al., 2007), to evaluate its subcellular localization and quantify its levels in postsynaptic densities (PSDs) purified from the striata of saline- and cocaine-treated mice. PCDH10 was enriched in PSD preparations (Figure 2B); furthermore, PSDs purified from striatal extracts of cocaine-treated mice contained more PCDH10 than striatal PSDs from saline controls. A role for extracellular matrix proteins, including cadherins and protocadherins, is consistent with previous studies of cocaine-regulated gene expression in mice (Eipper-Mains et al., 2011) and postmortem human brain (Mash et al., 2007; Lull et al., 2008).
