Dopamine transmission in the striatum is a critical mediator of the
rewarding and reinforcing effects of commonly misused psychoactive
drugs. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that bind a variety of
neuromodulators including dopamine, endocannabinoids, acetylcholine, and
endogenous opioid peptides regulate dopamine release by acting on
several components of dopaminergic circuitry. Striatal dopamine release
can be driven by both somatic action potential firing and local
mechanisms that depend on acetylcholine released from striatal
cholinergic interneurons. GPCRs that primarily regulate somatic firing
of dopamine neurons via direct effects or modulation of synaptic inputs
are likely to impact distinct aspects of behavior and psychoactive drug
actions compared with GPCRs that primarily regulate local
acetylcholine-dependent dopamine release in striatal regions. This
review will highlight mechanisms by which GPCRs modulate dopaminergic
transmission and the relevance of these findings to psychoactive drugs
involved in substance use disorders.