title: Adenosine A(2A)-cannabinoid CB(1) receptor interaction: an integrative mechanism in striatal glutamatergic neurotransmission.
abstract: The striatum is a subcortical area involved in sensorimotor, cognitive and emotional processes. Adenosine A(2A) receptors (A(2A)Rs) are highly expressed in the striatum, and their ability to establish functional and molecular interactions with many other receptors attributes to a pivotal role in the modulation and integration of striatal neurotransmission. This review will focus on the interaction between A(2A)Rs and cannabinoid CB(1) receptors (CB(1)Rs), taking it as a paradigmatic example of synaptic integration. Indeed, A(2A)Rs can exert an opposite (permissive vs. inhibitory) influence on CB1-dependent synaptic effect. These apparently irreconcilable functions could depend on a different role of pre- vs. postsynaptic A(2A)Rs, on their interaction with other receptors (namely adenosine A(1), metabotropic glutamate 5 and dopamine D2 receptors), and on whether A(2A)Rs form or not heteromers with CB(1)Rs. Besides providing a good example of the intricate pattern of events taking place in striatal synapses, the A(2A)/CB(1)R interaction proves very informative to understand the physiology of the basal ganglia and the mechanisms of related diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Brain Integration.
authors.affiliation: Section of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. mariateresa.tebano@iss.it
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tebano
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martire
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Popoli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D058905:Purinergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D043705:Receptor, Adenosine A2A / Q000378:metabolism*; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D058905:Purinergic Agents; D043705:Receptor, Adenosine A2A; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D018698:Glutamic Acid