D2 receptor null mutant (Drd2(-/-)) mice have altered responses to the rewarding and locomotor effects of psychostimulant drugs, which is evidence of a necessary role for D2 receptors in these behaviors. Furthermore, work with mice that constitutively express only the D2 receptor short form (D2S), as a result of genetic deletion of the long form (D2L), provides the basis for a current model in ...

Dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) participation in prolactin regulation is well documented, but the role of D2Rs in the control of other hormones involved in growth, food intake and glucose metabolism has not been extensively studied. The study of D2R knockout mice (Drd2(-/-)) puts forward new insights into the role of the D2R in growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-GH regulation, peptides involved i...

There is evidence for ethanol-induced impairment of the dopaminergic system in the brain during development. The dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and the dopamine transporter (DAT) are decisively involved in dopaminergic signaling. Two splice variants of DRD2 are known, with the short one (DRD2s) representing the autoreceptor and the long one (DRD2l) the postsynaptic receptor. We searched for a mode...

Although the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) has been a main target of antipsychotic pharmacotherapy for the treatment of schizophrenia, the standard treatment does not offer sufficient relief of symptoms to 20%-30% of patients suffering from this disorder. Moreover, over 80% of patients experience relapsed psychotic episodes within five years following treatment initiation. These data strongly sug...

Par-4 has been suggested to mediate dopamine neurotransmission. Dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) activation induces a signalling complex of AKT1, PP2A and beta-arrestin2 which dephosphorylates/inactivates AKT1 thereby activating GSK-3beta, transducing dopamine-dependent behaviour. DRD2 activation also results in down-regulation of PKA activity. Among other substrates PKA phosphorylates GSK-3beta. Pr...

Although molecular mechanisms underlying steroid effects on GnRH and dopamine receptors are well documented in mammals, little is known in fish. Herein, we describe the expression of pituitary GnRH and dopamine receptors relative to gonadotropin expression and release. We exposed female tilapia to graded doses of estradiol or 17alpha,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) in vitro, and of estra...

INTRODUCTION Previous research has indicated that variation in genes encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) may influence cognitive function and that this may confer vulnerability to the development of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. However, increasing evidence suggests environmental factors such as early life stress may interact with geneti...

As research into the neurobiology of language has focused primarily on the systems level, fewer studies have examined the link between molecular genetics and normal variations in language functions. Because the ability to learn a language varies in adults and our genetic codes also vary, research linking the two provides a unique window into the molecular neurobiology of language. We consider a...

AIM Sexual dysfunction induced by antipsychotic drug treatment is under investigated and under reported. This study aimed to determine the influence of genetic polymorphisms in the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) genes, and the possible role of blood prolactin concentrations on sexual function in schizophrenic patients. MATERIALS & METHODS Male remitte...