Dystrobrevin binding protein-1 (dysbindin-1), a candidate gene for schizophrenia, modulates cognition, synaptic plasticity and frontocortical circuitry and interacts with glutamatergic and dopaminergic transmission. Loss of dysbindin-1 modifies cellular trafficking of dopamine (DA) D 2 receptors to increase cell surface expression, but its influence upon signaling has never been characterized. Further, the effects of dysbindin-1 upon closely related D 3 receptors remain unexplored. Hence, we examined the impact of dysbindin-1 (isoform A) co-expression on the localization and coupling of human D 2L and D 3 receptors stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary or SH-SY5Y cells lacking endogenous dysbindin-1. Dysbindin-1 co-transfection decreased cell surface expression of both D 3 and D 2L receptors. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Nathalie Schmieg, Institut de recherche Servier, Pole of Innovation in Neuropsychiatry, 125, chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy sur Seine, France. E-mail: nathalie.schmieg@crick.ac.ukAbbreviations used: AC, adenylyl cyclase; ARF6, ADP-ribosylation factor 6; BLOC-1, biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary; CREB, cAMP response element-binding protein; D 2L receptor, D 2long receptor; D 2S receptor, D 2short receptor; DA, dopamine; DTNBP1, dystrobrevin binding protein 1; ERK1/2, extracellular signal-regulated kinases1/2; FCX, frontal cortex; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GASP-1, GPCR-associated sorting protein1; GSK-3b, glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta; HEK293, human embryonic kidney 293; h, human; MbCD, methylbcyclodextrine; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinases; PBS, phosphate buffered solution; p, phospho; Ser, serine; SPA, scintillation proximity assay; TBST, tris buffered saline with tween; Thr, threonine.