Dopamine transport: pharmacological distinction between the synaptic membrane and the vesicular transporter in rat striatum.

The pharmacological properties of the monoamine transporters in the synaptic vesicles and of the dopamine transporters in the synaptic plasma membrane were compared. Tetrabenazine, an inhibitor of the vesicular transporter did not block ligand binding to the plasma membrane transporter. Various potent cocaine analogues and other compounds active at the plasma membrane transporter did not block ligand binding to the vesicular transporter. These data indicate pharmacological differences between the vesicular and synaptic membrane transporters.