The time course of dopamine transmission in the ventral tegmental area

Synaptic transmission mediated by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) is not generally thought to be point-to-point. To determine the extent over which dopamine signals in the midbrain, the present study examined the concentration and time course of dopamine that underlies a D₂-receptor IPSC (D ₂-IPSC) in the ventral tegmental area. Extracellular dopamine was measured electrochemically while simultaneously recording D₂-IPSCs. The presence of dopamine was brief relative to the IPSC, suggesting that G-protein dependent potassium channel activation determined the IPSC time course. The activation kinetics of D₂ receptor-dependent potassium current was studied using outside-out patch recordings with rapid application of dopamine. Dopamine applied at a minimum concentration of 10 μM for a maximum of 100 ms mimicked the IPSC. Higher concentrations applied for as little as 5 ms did not change the kinetics of the current. The results indicate that both the intrinsic kinetics of G-protein coupled receptor signaling and a rapidly rising high concentration of dopamine determine the time course of the IPSC. Thus, dopamine transmission in the midbrain is more localized then previously proposed.