Neuronal Gq/11-coupled dopamine receptors: an uncharted role for dopamine

There is strong evidence for the existence of Gq/11-coupled dopamine receptors in the brain but the mechanism by which dopamine signaling activates Gq/11, or its roles in neuronal function, are only just beginning to be understood. The importance of such a pathway is underlined by putative links between dopamine-regulated phosphoinositide signaling and several central nervous system disorders that include schizophrenia, addiction and Parkinson's disease.