Interaction of dopamine and adenosine receptor function in behavior: studies with dopamine-deficient mice

The interactive effects of dopamine and adenosine on various behaviors in mammals have been studied extensively. The observation that dopamine and adenosine receptors are expressed together in neurons of the striatum has been a major impetus for studying these neurotransmitters because the striatum has been implicated in regulating motor and reward-related behaviors. This article reviews recent work concerning how dopamine and adenosine receptor activity impinges on these behaviors in a genetically altered mouse which cannot produce dopamine in dopaminergic neurons. It considers evidence regarding the motor and reward-related behaviors regulated by adenosine and dopamine, the neuronal circuits that respond to adenosine and dopamine, and the signaling mechanisms by which adenosine and dopamine interact.