Neurotransmitters

Question 1

Where are peptides made?

Answer 1

Soma:
- precursor peptide synthesised in the RER
- cleaved in golgi apparatus to active neurotransmitter
- secretory granules (large cessicles) transported to terminal and stored

Question 2

Where are monoamines, AA and acetylcholine made?

Answer 2

2nd class: Presynaptic terminal
- precursor molecule (from diet) is synthesised to neurotransmitter
- transported to synaptic vesicle annd stored

Question 3

What are the types of Amino Acids and what are their effects?

Answer 3

Glutamate: +
- major excitatory NT
- learning and memory
- neuroplasticity
- can be toxic if too much (regulated by glial cells)
- synthesised from glucose
- involved in longterm potentiation
- involved in the controlling of cravings, and the learning of associations with the drug taking environmen t
- pathway: cortex, striatum, midbrain

GABA: -
- major inhibitory NT
- modulater of 50% of neural processes
- metabolised through GABA transaminase

Question 4

Acetylcholine:

Answer 4

Acetylcholine is excitatory:
Important for memory, perceptual learning, movement and REM sleep

Has more specific functions

3 major pathways:
- nucleus basalis –> cortex
- sep. –> hippocampus
- SN –> thalamus

Metabolised:
- into choline (reused) and acetic acid in the synaptic cleft
- regulated by negative feedback loop

Related to the reward component of nicotine

Question 5

Monoamines

Answer 5

3 Catecholamines: synthesised from tyrosine (from diet)
- Dopamine (short term memory, strategy, reward, movement) –> transporter = DAT
- Noradrenaline (attention, fight/flight, sleep) –> transporter = NET
- adrenaline

2 idolamines: specific to circadian rhythms, synthesised from Tryptophan
- Serotonin (cognition, emotion, reward) transporter = SERT
- melatonin