α1 - Adrenergic receptor subtypes in the central nervous system: insights from genetically engineered mouse models

Α1 - adrenergic receptors (a1-ars) are important players in peripheral and central nervous system (cns) regulation and function and in mediating various behavioral responses. the a1-ar family consists of three subtypes,a1a,a1b and a1d,which differ in their subcellular distribution,efficacy in evoking intracellular signals and transcriptional profiles. all three a1-ar subtypes are present at relatively high densities throughout the cns,but the contributions of the individual subtypes to various central functions are currently unclear. because of the lack of specific ligands,functionally characterizing the a1-ars and discriminating between the three subtypes are difficult. to date,studies using genetically engineered mice have provided some information on subtype-related functions of the cns a1-ars. in this mini-review,we discuss several cns processes where the a1-ars role has been delineated with pharmacological tools and by studies using mutated mice strains that infer specific a1-ar subtype functions through evaluation of behavioral phenotypes. copyright © 2013 by institute of pharmacology.