Neurotransmitter and drug receptor genes

Studies of the two neurotransmitter receptor genes described here illustrate the rich possibilities that this area of molecular neurobiology holds for drug abuse research. Since many of the 100 to 150 different neurotransmitters could have multiple receptor genes, as many as 1,000 different genes or 1 percent of the human genome might encode neurotransmitter receptors. Clearly, as the other chapters in this monograph also indicate, the field is ripe with possibilities of discovery with implications for drug action.