Neurotransmitters & Receptors Flashcards
What are the steps of the NT release?
- Arrival of AP & terminal depolarization
- Opening of voltage-gated Ca channels
- Ca2+ enter synaptic terminal
- Docking & fusion of vesicles to presynaptic membrane
- Exocytosis: NT release into synaptic gap
What are the ways to stop the action of a NT?
Reuptake, Degradation, Diffusion
What is the criteria to be a NT?
- Found in presynaptic terminal
- Enzymes for synthesis
- Release upon stimulation of the presynaptic neuron
- Acts on a postsynaptic receptor and produces a biological effect
- Can be inactivated
- Predictable pharmacological action
What are the major classes of NT?
Amino acids, amines, peptides, retrograde messengers
What are the excitatory amino acids?
Glutamate and aspartate
What does VGlut do?
Packages glutamate into vesicles
What are the inhibitory amino acids?
GABA & Glycine
What are the enzymes needed for GABA?
GAD transforms glutamate into GABA; VGAT fills vesicles
What are the properties of glycine?
converted from serine; responsible for IPSPs in spinal cord; VIAAT
What are the types of amines?
Acetylcholine, catecholamine, indoleamine
What are the catecholamine NT?
dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine
What does dopamine do? What is it made from?
Movement, learning, attention, emotion; Tyrosine –> DOPA –> Dopamine
What is the Idoleamine NT?
Serotonin
What does serotonin do?
Regulates mood, emotional behavior, sleep and arousal; Target system of hallucinogenic & antidepressant drugs
What is Purine (ATP)?
Often packaged in synaptic vesicles with other NT an co-released during neurotransmission