The dopamine D1 receptor: biochemical and behavioral aspects.

Abstract

Research on the role of dopamine (DA) in the control of behavior was initiated with the studies by Randrup and colleagues in the early 60’es (e.g., Randrup et al., 1965). However, the direct study of DA receptors began with the discovery in 1972 of DA sensitive adenylate cyclase in rat striatum (Kebabian et al., 1972). In 1975, tritiated haloperidol was introduced as a compound for direct labelling of DA receptors (Creese et al., 1975; Burt et al., 1975; Seeman et al., 1975). Comparing the pharmacological characteristics of DA stimulated adenylate cyclase and 3H-haloperidol binding, it was readily apparent that 3H-haloperidol does not label the same site as the one through which DA exerts its effects on adenylate cyclase. These discrepancies between binding data and functional data, resulted a few years later in the postulated existence by Kebabian and Calne (1979) of two types of DA receptors designated D1 and D2. The D1 receptor was defined by means of its coupling in a stimulatory fashion to the adenylate cyclase while the D2 receptor was associated in an inhibitory fashion to or uncoupled from the same effector system.