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Dopaminergic Neurons in the Rat Retina Express Dopamine D2/3 Receptors
Author(s) -
Veruki Margaret L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.1997.tb01461.x
Subject(s) - dopaminergic , dopamine receptor d2 , inner plexiform layer , retina , dopamine , receptor , dopamine receptor , biology , tyrosine hydroxylase , inner nuclear layer , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biochemistry
The localization of dopamine D2 and D3 receptors in the rat retina was studied using a polyclonal antibody raised against a peptide sequence common to the dopamine D2 and D3 receptors (D2/3). The D2/3 receptor antibody labelled a small number of somata in the innermost part of the inner nuclear layer and in the ganglion cell layer and a small number of photoreceptor outer segments. Processes in both plexiform layers were also labelled. Double‐labelling experiments with the antibody against the D2/3 receptor and an antibody against tyrosine hydroxylase to label dopaminergic neurons resulted in the co‐localization of the two antibodies. This demonstrates directly that dopaminergic neurons in the retina express D2/3 receptors. As previous biochemical and physiological studies have demonstrated that activation of D2–like receptors inhibits the release of dopamine in the retina, the present results suggest that the D2/3 receptors on dopaminergic neurons function as autoreceptors.