Of mice and flies: commonalities among 5-HT receptors.
Pharmacological studies as well as molecular cloning of 5-HT receptors have revealed a multiplicity of receptor subtypes, not only in mammals but, as discussed in this review by René Hen, also in molluscs and arthropods. Most of these receptors belong to the G protein-coupled receptor family, and their mechanism of action involves modulating levels of second messengers such as cAMP, IP3 and Ca2+. Rather than being specialized in a particular physiological function, a given receptor may be expressed in multiple neurons throughout the brain but always in the same compartment in these neurons. The 5-HT1B receptor, for example, is generally localized presynaptically on neuronal terminals, where it inhibits neurotransmitter release. A widespread distribution of 5-HT receptors might explain how 5-HT can modulate the multiple neuronal circuits that underlie complex behaviours.
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Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire des Eucaryotes du CNRS, Unité 184 de l'INSERM, Institut de Chimie Biologique, Faculté de Médecine, Strasbourg, France.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D011985:Receptors, Serotonin