INSIGHTS FROM IN-VIVO MODIFICATION OF ADRENERGIC-RECEPTOR GENE-EXPRESSION

Adrenergic receptors are key targets within the autonomic nervous syst em, regulating a wide variety of physiological processes. The ability to modify adrenergic receptor expression patterns in vivo has added a powerful new tool to the functional analysis of these receptors. Modif ication of adrenergic receptor gene expression by overexpression, gene tic ablation, or site-specific mutation has added new insight to model s of receptor coupling behavior, pharmacology, and subtype-specific ph ysiological function. This review highlights some of the recent advanc es resulting from such genetic approaches to the study of adrenergic r eceptors.