DOPAMINE-RECEPTORS

Although in recent years there has been an explosion of information concerning DA receptors, there are still many questions to be answered. They are related to drug and neurotransmitter interactions with DA receptors, changes of the receptor density and/or affinity upon pharmacological or neurochemical interactions and to alterations in the ratio of DA receptor subtypes and conditions of disturbed homeostasis, i.e. their cooperation. Synthesis of specific photoactivable probes selective for D1 or D2 receptors will greatly facilitate their purification and thus, it will be possible to identify the groups taking part in the interaction of the receptor with agonists, antagonists and DA itself. Application of molecular engineering techniques has recently enabled cloning of the rat DA-D2 receptor and it is to be expected that in the near future such a cloning strategy may permit the isolation of the member of the same gene family that includes the D1 receptor.