title: The role of serotonin in axon and dendrite growth.
abstract: The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) plays multiple roles in the enteric, peripheral, and central nervous systems (CNS). Although its most prominent biological function is as a signal transmission messenger from pre- to postsynaptic neurons, other roles such as shaping brain development and regulating neurite growth have also been described. Here, we review the less well-studied role of 5-HT as a modulator of neurite growth. 5-HT has been shown to regulate neurite growth in multiple systems and species, including in the mammalian CNS. 5-HT predominantly appears to suppress neurite growth, but depending on the model system and 5-HT receptor subtype, in rare cases, it may promote neurite outgrowth and elongation. Failure of axon regeneration in the adult mammalian CNS is a major problem in multiple diseases, and understanding how 5-HT receptors signal opposing effects on neurite growth may lead to novel neuroregenerative therapies, by targeting either 5-HT receptors or their downstream signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA. etrakhtenberg@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Ephraim F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Trakhtenberg
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012701:Serotonin