Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques
Published on: September 27, 2011
Interaction with dopamine D2 receptor enhances expression of transient receptor potential channel 1 at the cell
Meredith A Hannan1, Nadine Kabbani, Constantinos D Paspalas
1Department of Pharmacology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Abstract:
Receptor signaling is mediated by direct protein interaction with various types of cytoskeletal, adapter, effector, and additional receptor molecules. In brain tissue and in cultured neurons, activation of dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) has been found to impact cellular calcium signaling. Using a yeast two-hybrid approach, we have uncovered a direct physical interaction between the D2R and the transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) subtypes 1, 4 and 5. The TRPC/D2R interaction was further validated by GST-pulldown assays and coimmunoprecipitation from mammalian brain. Ultrastructural analysis of TRPC1 and D2R expression indicates colocalization of the two proteins within the cell body and dendrites of cortical neurons. In cultured cells, expression of D2Rs was found to increase expression of TRPC1 at the cell surface by 50%. These findings shed new light on the constituents of the D2R signalplex, and support the involvement of D2Rs in cellular calcium signaling pathways via a novel link to TRPC channels.
Related Concept Videos
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
Receptor Tyrosine Kinases
The Two-State Receptor Model
The binding affinity of a drug determines its interaction with one...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory organs,...

