Neurotransmitter receptor histochemistry: the contribution of in situ hybridization

Molecular cloning of neurotransmitter receptors has enabled the application of in situ hybridization histochemistry to the study of the regional distribution and cellular localization of receptor mRNAs with an unprecedented degree of selectivity. This has resulted in a large body of information including detailed maps of the distribution of receptor subtype transcripts, the establishment of neurotransmitter phenotype and connectivity of receptor-expressing cells, and the relationship between receptor transcripts and binding sites. In this minireview, we discuss and illustrate with a number of examples the contributions of in situ hybridization histochemistry to the study of receptor distribution in brain tissue.