Dopamine receptors are a class of G protein-coupled receptors that are prominent in the vertebratecentral nervous system (CNS) and are implicated in many neurological processes, including motivational and incentive salience, cognition, memory, learning, and fine motor control, as well as modulation of neuroendocrine signaling. Abnormal dopamine receptor signaling and dopaminergic nerve function is implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders.[1] Dopamine receptors are therefore common drug targets.
Dopamine receptors activate different effectors through not only G-protein coupling, but also signaling through different protein (dopamine receptor-interacting proteins) interactions.[2]
Photopharmacology enables light-controlled modulation of neurotransmitter systems by designing molecules whose activity can be precisely switched on or off using specific wavelengths of light. This approach has recently been extended to the dopaminergic system. A photoswitchable agonist of D1-like receptors (azodopa) has been described that allows reversible control of dopaminergic transmission in wildtype animals. Several others photopharmacological tools have been developed to target dopamine receptors using light-responsive ligands that allow reversible and non-invasive control over receptor activation. These include both photoisomerizable agonists/antagonists and caged dopamine derivatives that release the active compound upon irradiation. Such compounds offer valuable insights into dopamine signaling dynamics and hold promise for the development of experimental therapies for dopaminergic disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.[3]
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