Link between D1 and D2 dopamine receptors is reduced in schizophrenia and Huntington diseased brain

Dopamine receptor types D1 and D2 can oppose or enhance each other's actions for electrical, biochemical, and psychomotor effects. We report a D1-D2 interaction in homogenized tissue as revealed by ligand binding. D2 agonists lowered the binding of [3H]raclopride to D2 receptors in striatal and anterior pituitary tissues. Pretreating the tissue with the D1-selective antagonist SCH 23390 prevented the agonist-induced decrease in [3H]raclopride binding to D2 sites in the striatum but not in the anterior pituitary, which has no D1 receptors. Conversely, a dopamine-induced reduction in the binding of [3H]SCH 23390 to D1 receptors could be prevented by the D2-selective antagonist eticlopride. Receptor photolabeling experiments confirmed both these D1-D2 interactions. The blocking effect by SCH 23390 was similar to that produced by a nonhydrolyzable guanine nucleotide analogue, and SCH 23390 reduced the number of agonist-labeled D2 receptors in the high-affinity state. Thus, the D1-D2 link may be mediated by guanine nucleotide-binding protein components. The link may underlie D1-D2 interactions influencing behavior, since the link was missing in over half the postmortem striata from patients with schizophrenia and Huntington disease (both diseases that show some hyperdopamine signs) but was present in human control, Alzheimer, and Parkinson striata.