GENETIC-ASPECTS OF DOPAMINE RECEPTOR-BINDING IN THE MOUSE AND RAT-BRAIN - AN OVERVIEW

Remarkable advances during the past few years have sparked new interest in the molecular identification of receptor types and in the spatiotemporal regulation of their expression. Because dopamine (DA) receptors have been implicated in major neuropsychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and affective disorders, both of which have significant heritable components, new research is now aimed at testing hypotheses which deal with the genetic regulation of DA receptor expression and with linkage of such expression to behavioral disorders. The purpose of this article, which is not intended to be an exhaustive review, is to examine the findings of two decades of genetic studies on DA receptor expression in terms of radioligand binding and inbred mouse and rat strains, as well as to discuss some of the pitfalls in past research and new strategies in current work. Copyright © 1992, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved