Dopaminergic Control over the Tripartite Synapse.

In this issue of Neuron, Corkrum et al. (2020) demonstrate an unexpected role for dopamine D1 receptors on astrocytes located in the nucleus accumbens, a key structure of the brain's reward system. Activation of these receptors mediates dopamine-evoked depression of excitatory synaptic transmission, which contributes to amphetamine's psychomotor effects.