Mercuri N B, Saiardi A, Bonci A, Picetti R, Calabresi P, Bernardi G, Borrelli E
Clinica Neurologica, Universitá di Roma-Tor Vergata and ICRCCS, Clinica Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
Neuroscience. 1997 Jul;79(2):323-7. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00135-8.
Dopamine plays a key role in the control of motor and cognitive functions through the interaction with membrane receptors. Dopamine elicits its physiological effect by interacting with receptors that belong to the seven transmembrane domain G-protein-coupled receptors family. Pharmacological and structural analyses have allowed the division of these receptors into two classes: the D1- and D2-like receptors. The D1-like subfamily comprises D1 and D5 while the D2-like is formed by D2, D3 and D4. Dopaminergic neurons arise from the ventral tegmental area and the substantia nigra. These neurons give rise to four dopaminergic pathways: the nigrostriatal, the mesolimbic, the mesocortical and tuberoinfundibular pathways. These pathways are involved in the control of movement, learning, motivation reward and hormone synthesis and release. Dysfunction in these pathways leads to neurological, psychiatric and endocrine disorders. Indeed, degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway leads to Parkinson's disease in humans, characterized by a strong reduction of released dopamine. Thus, a fine tuning of the firing discharge of dopaminergic neurons is a key function in the regulation of dopamine mediated activities in the central nervous system. Somatodendritic dopaminergic autoreceptors of the D2-like family are responsible for such a function. However, it is still controversial whether this function could be ascribed only to one or more members of this subfamily.
多巴胺通过与膜受体相互作用，在运动和认知功能的控制中发挥关键作用。多巴胺通过与属于七跨膜结构域G蛋白偶联受体家族的受体相互作用来引发其生理效应。药理学和结构分析已将这些受体分为两类：D1样受体和D2样受体。D1样亚家族包括D1和D5，而D2样受体则由D2、D3和D4组成。多巴胺能神经元起源于腹侧被盖区和黑质。这些神经元产生四条多巴胺能通路：黑质纹状体通路、中脑边缘通路、中脑皮质通路和结节漏斗通路。这些通路参与运动控制、学习、动机奖励以及激素合成与释放。这些通路功能失调会导致神经、精神和内分泌疾病。事实上，黑质纹状体通路的退化会导致人类帕金森病，其特征是多巴胺释放大幅减少。因此，精确调节多巴胺能神经元的放电是调节中枢神经系统中多巴胺介导活动的关键功能。D2样家族的树突体多巴胺能自身受体负责这一功能。然而，该功能是否仅归因于该亚家族的一个或多个成员仍存在争议。
