Good riddance to dopamine: roles for the dopamine transporter in synaptic function and dopamine-associated brain disorders

R Gowrishankar, MK Hahn, RD Blakely - Neurochemistry international, 2014 - Elsevier
The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) plays a critical role in CNS circuits that provide for
attention, executive function, reward responses, motivation and movement. DA is inactivated
by the cocaine-and amphetamine-sensitive DA transporter (DAT), a protein that also
provides a pathway for non-vesicular DA release. After a brief review of DAT function and
psychostimulant actions, we consider the importance DAT in relation to the distinct firing
patterns of DA neurons that permit awareness of novelty and reward. Finally, we review …