Morris 9515226 All electrically excitable cells, such as those in the brain and other organs, are constantly receiving chemical signals in the form of neurotransmitters and hormones. These chemical messengers interact with specific proteins, called receptors, on the outer surface of their target cells and through changes brought about by the activation of these receptors, transmit their message into the workings of the cell. The studies proposed by Dr. Morris study one such message system, the dopamine D2 receptor system. Dopamine is a small molecule which is crucial for brain communication and organismal function, particularly movement. Dr. Morris and his colleagues are using sophisticated molecular biological techniques to develop an easily accessible model system in which to study the events that occur in a cell subsequent to dopamine binding to its cognizant receptor. This work will provide a detailed understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms activated by a neurotransmitter binding to its receptor and will have major implications on revealing how the brain encodes chemical information and its translation.
