APA Dictionary of Psychology

a receptor molecule that is sensitive to dopamine and chemically related compounds. Dopamine receptors are located in parts of the nervous system, such as the basal ganglia, and also in blood vessels of the kidneys and mesentery, where binding of dopamine to its receptors results in widening (dilation) of the arteries. There are several subtypes of dopamine receptors, designated D1, D2, and so on. See DRD2 gene.