title: A biophysical approach for the study of dopamine receptor oligomerization.
abstract: The ability of certain neurotransmitter receptors to form oligomers provides an additional level of fine-tuning of intracellular signaling. Among the techniques allowing study of receptor oligomerization as well as influence of specific ligands on these processes, a biophysical approach with the use of fluorescently tagged receptors is the most sensitive. Measurement of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) phenomenon between two fluorescently tagged receptors is considered a very useful and measurable tool to study the physical interactions between receptors either in a single cell or in a population of living cells. Here we describe the use of FRET measurement specifically to monitor protein oligomer formation between dopamine D(1)R and D(2)R, but the same methodology can be used to study other receptor proteins as well as their mutants.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lukasiewicz
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faron-Górecka
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dziedzicka-Wasylewska
mesh_terms: D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins