title: "TAARgeting Addiction"--The Alamo Bears Witness to Another Revolution: An Overview of the Plenary Symposium of the 2015 Behavior, Biology and Chemistry Conference.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In keeping with the free-thinking tradition San Antonians are known for, the Scientific Program Committee of the Behavior, Biology and Chemistry: Translational Research in Addiction Conference chose trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) as the focus of the plenary symposium for its 7th annual meeting held at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on March 14 and 15, 2015. The timing of the meeting's plenary session on TAAR1 coincided with the Ides of March, an apt concurrence given the long association of this date with the overthrow of the status quo. And whether aware of the coincidence or not, those in attendance witnessed the plunging of the metaphorical dagger into the heart of the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT)-centric view of psychostimulant action.
  
  
  METHODS
  The symposium's four plenary presentations focused on the molecular and cellular biology, genetics, medicinal chemistry and behavioral pharmacology of the TAAR1 system and the experimental use of newly developed selective TAAR1 ligands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The consensus was that TAAR1 is a DA and methamphetamine receptor, interacts with DAT and DA D2 receptors, and is essential in modulating addiction-related effects of psychostimulants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collectively the findings presented during the symposium constitute a significant challenge to the current view that psychostimulants such as methamphetamine and amphetamine solely target DAT to interfere with normal DA signaling and provide a novel conceptual framework from which a more complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of DA and METH is likely to emerge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Grandy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: junxuli@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Jun-Xu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000819:agonists* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000095383:Trace Amine-Associated Receptors
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000095383:Trace Amine-Associated Receptors
keywords: Dopamine D2 receptor; Dopamine transporter; Methamphetamine; Parkinson's disease; Psychostimulant addiction; Schizophrenia; Trace amine associated receptor 1