Human peripheral blood lymphocytes express D5 dopamine receptor gene and transcribe the two pseudogenes

Abstract

Sequential reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the mRNA were used to investigate the expression of dopamine receptors in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The RT-PCR products contained three types of sequences, each corresponding to those of the D5 dopamine receptor gene and the two related pseudogenes. The lymphocyte cDNA library also contained the clones encoding parts of the three genes. Binding profiles of dopaminergic ligands to the lymphocytes were similar to those for the native neuronal membranes.