GENE TARGETING APPROACHES TO ANALYZE NEUROTRANSMITTER RECEPTOR FUNCTION

In the last two years, gene targeting approaches have been applied to generate mutant mouse strains bearing heritable alterations of neurotr ansmitter receptor genes. The analysis of mouse strains with planned m utations of receptor genes is proving to be a valuable approach to exa mine the contributions of particular receptor subtypes to neural devel opment, physiology, behavior and drag actions. In the near future, a l arge number of receptor mutant strains will become available for the a nalysis of receptor function. This review will focus on recent studies of such strains, and the potential benefits and limitations of gene t argeting approaches to receptor function will be discussed.