To test the hypothesis that pharmacological differentiation between D 1 and D 2 dopamine receptors results from interactions of selective ligands with nonconserved residues lining the binding pocket, we mutated amino acid residues in the D 2 receptor to the corresponding aligned residues in the D 1 receptor and vice versa and expressed the receptors in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Determinations of the affinity of the 14 mutant D 2 receptors and 11 mutant D 1 receptors for D 1 -and D 2 -selective antagonists, and rhodopsin-based homology models of the two receptors, identified two residues whose direct interactions with certain ligands probably contribute to ligand selectivity. The D 1 receptor mutant W99 3.28 F showed dramatically increased affinity for several D 2 -selective antagonists, particularly spiperone (225-fold), whereas the D 2 receptor mutant Y417 7.43 W had greatly decreased affinity for benzamide ligands such as raclopride (200-fold) and sulpiride (125-fold).The binding of the,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (SCH23390) was unaffected, indicating that SCH23390 makes little contact with these ancillary pocket residues. Mutation of A/V 5.39 caused modest but consistent and reciprocal changes in affinity of the receptors for D 1 and D 2 -selective ligands, perhaps reflecting altered packing of the interface of helices 5 and 6. We also obtained some evidence that residues in the second extracellular loop contribute to ligand binding. We conclude that additional determinants of D 1 /D 2 receptorselective binding are located either in that loop or in the transmembrane helices but, like residue 5.39, indirectly influence the interactions of selective ligands with conserved residues by altering the shape of the primary and ancillary binding pockets. Dopamine modulates diverse biological functions, including movement, endocrine function, and memory formation, through activation of five distinct dopamine receptor subtypes that belong to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily and are grouped into two subfamilies, D 1 -like dopamine receptors and D 2 -like dopamine receptors, based on their structure, pharmacology, and transduction pathways. The D 1 and D 2 receptors are the most abundant dopamine receptor subtypes and are most similar to the traditional pharmacologically defined D 1 and D 2 receptors (Kebabian and Calne, 1979). The D 1 receptor has a long carboxyl terminus and a short third intracellular loop, couples to the adenylate cyclase stimulatory G proteins G␣ s/olf , and stimulates cyclic AMP accumulation. In contrast, the D 2 receptor has a short carboxyl terminus and a long third intracellular loop, couples to the pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins G␣ i/o , inhibits cyclic AMP accumulation, and also modulates a variety of G␥-regulated effectors such as calcium and potassium ion channels, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and phospholipases (Neve et al., 2004). D 1 and D 2 receptor-selective agonists and antagonists are current or potential therapeutic drugs for treatment o...