Characterization of a D2-like dopamine receptor (AmDOP3) in honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Abstract Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems and is widely distributed in the brain of the honey bee, Apis mellifera . We report here the functional characterization and cellular localization of the putative dopamine receptor gene, Amdop3 , a cDNA clone isolated and identified in previous studies as Am BAR3 ( Apis mellifera Biogenic Amine Receptor 3). The Amdop3 cDNA encodes a 694 amino acid protein, Am DOP3. Comparison of Am DOP3 to Drosophila melanogaster sequences indicates that it is orthologous to the D2-like dopamine receptor, DD2R. Using Am DOP3 receptors expressed in HEK293 cells we show that of the endogenous biogenic amines, dopamine is the most potent Am DOP3 agonist, and that activation of Am DOP3 receptors results in down regulation of intracellular levels of cAMP, a property characteristic of D2-like dopamine receptors. In situ hybridization reveals that Amdop3 is widely expressed in the brain but shows a pattern of expression that differs from that of either Amdop1 or Amdop2 , both of which encode D1-like dopamine receptors. Nonetheless, overlaps in the distribution of cells expressing Amdop1, Amdop2 and Amdop3 mRNAs suggest the likelihood of D1:D2 receptor interactions in some cells, including subpopulations of mushroom body neurons.