Selective localization of striatal D1 receptors to striatonigral neurons.

A new technique for producing anatomically selective lesions within the brain was used to investigate the cellular localization of the D1 and D2 receptor. The cytotoxic lectin, volkensin, is taken up by nerve terminals and retrogradely transported, killing those neurons projecting to the site of injection. Comparison of D1 and D2 binding following a unilateral volkensin injection into the substantia nigra has demonstrated that striatal D1 binding sites are selectively localized to striatonigral projection neurons.