This gene encodes the D2 subtype of the dopamine receptor. This G-protein coupled receptor inhibits adenylyl cyclase activity. A missense mutation in this gene causes myoclonus dystonia; other mutations have been associated with schizophrenia. Alternative splicing of this gene results in two transcript variants encoding different isoforms. A third variant has been described, but it has not been determined whether this form is normal or due to aberrant splicing. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in mice demonstrated that the DRD2 is associated with weight gain in adults, as mentioned in the introductory and discussion sections of the literature [Song et al. DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-26040-1]. A study in mice demonstrated that the DRD2 exhibited high expression in the ventral midbrain and nucleus accumbens but low expression in the prefrontal cortex in lines selectively bred for differential methamphetamine consumption risk [Hitzemann et al. DOI:10.3390/brainsci9070155]. In cynomolgus monkeys, chronic heroin exposure was associated with reduced levels of the DRD2 in the hippocampus, as noted in the introductory discussion of a separate transcriptomic investigation [Choi et al. DOI:10.30773/pi.2022.0004].