Molecular cloning and characterisation of the gene encoding the murine D4 dopamine receptor.

The murine D4 dopamine receptor was isolated from a murine genomic DNA library. The receptor's entire coding region was contained within a 6 kb EcoRI genomic fragment, indicating that the murine D4 receptor gene is significantly smaller than the corresponding D2 and D3 receptor genes, the coding regions of which each stretch over 30 kb. The murine D4 receptor gene has three introns and four exons, in common with the rat and human D4 receptor genes. RT-PCR on mRNA from different brain regions shows that the D4 receptor mRNA is expressed in various areas of the brain, with some differences from the rat and human receptor homologues.