Molecular biology of the dopamine receptors

Because of their importance in pathophysiology, the dopamine receptors have been the subjects of intense pharmacological and physiological research. Their structures have remained mostly unknown until recently with the application of molecular biological approaches. The cloning of the first dopamine receptor, the D₂ receptor opened a new era in dopamine receptor research. It has led not only to new studies of its own biology but also to the characterization of the other dopamine receptors. The most striking conclusion of this fast moving research is that the dopamine receptors are more diverse than expected from their pharmacological characterizations. We discuss here the history of the cloning of the dopamine receptors and the impact that this research had on our understanding of the dopamine system.