[Genetic knockout--the first steps and outlook for a neurophysiology of behavior]

A review of modern data on genetic knockout strategy application to study the brain neurotransmitters and their role in the regulation of behavior. Advantages and shortcomings of genetic knockout of receptors and the enzymes of neurotransmitters metabolism models in comparison to other methods are discussed. Data on the effect of genetic knockout of various types of opioid, dopamine, serotonin and adrenoreceptors as well as enzymes in biosynthesis of catecholamines and serotonin on physiology and behavior is adduced. The data provide evidence that genetic knockout reproduces a principal effects of the lack of receptors and enzymes and allows to find new yet unknown properties. Mouse strains with genetic knockout represent unique models of hereditary neuropathology. At the same time the data presented clearly demonstrated that the lack of a single type of receptor or enzyme does not lead usually to disorganization of regulated by them physiological functions and behavior. The data witness to the complexity and multifactoriality of their regulations and evidenced the great compensatory potentials of organism.