Neurotransmitters Flashcards by Kayla Shorten

What is a monoamine?

A class of NTs made by modifying a single amino acid

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What are examples of monoamines?

Epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, histamine

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Where do you find norepinephrine?

Locus ceruleus

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What is norepinephrine associated with?

Wakefulness/alertness

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Where do you find epinephrine?

Medulla

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How are norepinephrine and epinephrine derived?

Tyrosine -> dopamine -> norepinephrine -> epinephrine

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How are norepinephrine and epinephrine made?

Tyrosine to dopamine via tyrosine hydroxylase
Moved to vesicles where NE is created
NE leaves vesicles and is converted to epi
Epi moved into vesicles

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What transporter moves epi and NE into vesicles?

VMAT 1 & 2

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How are the actions of epi/NE limited?

Reuptake or enzymatic degradation via MAO or COMT

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Where do you find dopamine?

Basal ganglia and hypothalamus/limbic system

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What is dopamine involved in?

Motor control and endocrine/emotional control

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How is dopamine made?

From tyrosine via tyrosine hydroxylase

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How are dopamine’s actions limited?

Reuptake or catabolism by MAO and COMT

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What does dopamine bind to?

Metabotropic receptors connected to G proteins.
D1 and D5 increase cAMP (in brain = neuron excitation)
D2, D3, and D4 decrease cAMP (=inhibits cell)

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Where do you find serotonin?

Brainstem raphe nuclei

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What is serotonin involved in?

Mood (hypothalamus/limbic system) and motor activity modification (cerebellum)

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How is serotonin made?

Derived from tryptophan via tryptophan hydroxylase

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How are serotonin’s actions limited?

Reuptake or catabolism by MAO and COMT

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What does serotonin bind to?

5HT3 - area postrema (chemotactic trigger zone = vomiting)

5HT6 - anti-depressant effect

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Where do you find histamine?

Tuberomammillary nucleus of hypothalamus

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What is histamine involved in?

Wakefulness

How is histamine made?

Derived from histidine via histidine decarboxylase

How are histamine’s actions limited?

Reuptake or catabolism by diamine oxidase (DAO) and COMT

What does histamine bind to?

H1 - PLC activation (wakefulness)
H2 - increase cAMP
H3 - decrease histamine release

Where is Ach made?

Striatum of basal ganglia, midbrain, and pons

What does Ach function in?

Striatum: voluntary motion | Midbrain/pons: baseline excitation to cortex and REM sleep

What Ach receptors are in the CNS?

M1 (Gq increases Ca2+) M4 (Gi decreases cAMP) M5 (Gq increases Ca2+)

What are the two major inhibitory amino acids in the CNS?

GABA and glycine

What are GABA and glycine critical in?

Consciousness, motor control, vision (retina)

How is GABA made?

Synthesized from glutamate via glutamate decarboxylase, transported into vesicles via VGAT, removed from synapse via GAT1 (presynaptic terminal) and GAT2 (surrounding glial cells)

What does GABA bind to?

GABA A receptors that produce IPSP in adult neurons. Some are extra-synaptic receptors that function as a site of action for anesthetics GABA B receptors: presynaptically regulate GABA release, postsynaptically inhibit postsynaptic cell

Where is glycine found?

Spinal cord, medulla

What does glycine function to do?

Mediates spinal inhibitions

How is glycine removed from synapses?

GAT (like GABA)

What does glycine bind to?

GlyR receptors, influx of chloride leads to IPSP

Where are purines found?

ATP, ADP, adenosine found everywhere in CNS. Specifically in cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and basal ganglia

What do purines bind to?

P1: presynaptic = sleep induction, inhibition of neural function. Postsynaptic = inhibition of NT release P2: P2X and P2Y (learning/memory)

What are some examples of peptide transmitters?

Opioids, tachykinins, cholecystokinin, somatostatin

What types of opioids are there?

Endorphins, enkephalins, dynorphins, nociceptin

What are the precursor molecules to opioids?

Proopiomelanocortinin (POMC), pro-enkephalin, pro-dynorphin, orphanin FQ

How are opioids made?

Via standard protein synthesis

How are the effects of opioids controlled?

Reuptake and enzymatic destruction

What do opioids bind to?

Mu receptors - analgesia, respiratory depression, euphoria, constipation, sedation Kappa receptors - analgesia, dysphoria (unpleasant) Delta receptors - analgesia All are metabotropic

What are the endogenous cannabinoids?

Anandamide and 2AG

Where do you find endocannabinoids?

Basal ganglia (mood, motor), spinal cord (modulate nociception), cortex (neuroprotection)

How are endocannabinoids synthesized?

Derived from membrane lipids, synthesized in presynaptic terminal

What do endocannabinoids bind to?

CB1 on presynaptic terminals in CNS | CB2 on microglia (anti-inflammatory)

How are endocannabinoids degraded?

Hydrolyzed or oxidized

What are the excitatory amino acids?

Glutamate and aspartate

What do EAAs bind to?

``` NMDA receptor (influx of calcium) with modulatory glycine binding site (required as co-agonist), modulatory magnesium binding site (blocks the channel), modulatory PCP binding site (blocks channel) Non-NMDA receptors (AMPA and kainate) ```