Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake01:21

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake

1.8K
Certain drugs can affect how neurotransmitters called catecholamines, are released or taken back up in the adrenergic neuron. They can have different effects on the body's sympathetic transmission. Reserpine, a natural compound found in the Rauwolfia shrub, blocks a transporter called vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), which leads to a buildup of catecholamines in the cell and reduces sympathetic transmission. Another drug called guanethidine works in multiple ways, including blocking...
1.8K
Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action01:26

Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action

3.4K
Neurochemical transmission, the conduction of electrical impulses between neurons mediated by neurotransmitters, plays a vital role in various physiological processes. Autonomic drugs exert their effects by modulating neurotransmission within the autonomic nervous system. For instance, drugs such as hemicholinium block the precursor uptake necessary for synthesizing acetylcholine, an essential autonomic neurotransmitter. Following synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles. Metyrosine...
3.4K
Adrenergic Neurons: Neurotransmission01:27

Adrenergic Neurons: Neurotransmission

5.3K
Postganglionic sympathetic fibers (except those supplying the sweat glands) releasing noradrenaline or norepinephrine are called noradrenergic or adrenergic neurons. Noradrenaline, dopamine, adrenaline, or epinephrine are collectively called "catecholamines" as they contain a catechol moiety and an amine side chain. The five stages of neurotransmitter release involve their synthesis, storage, release, reuptake and metabolism.
Synthesis: Catecholamine synthesis requires tyrosine, which...
5.3K
Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents01:25

Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents

2.8K
Indirect-acting adrenergic agonists potentiate the effects of endogenous catecholamines through different mechanisms without directly binding to adrenoceptors.
One mechanism involves depleting stored catecholamines by displacing them from synaptic vesicles. These agents, known as "displacers," are transported into vesicles at the expense of noradrenaline. Examples include amphetamine and tyramine, which lack a catechol moiety, resulting in prolonged action, improved oral...
2.8K
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

2.5K
Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase,...
2.5K
Classification of Neurotransmitters01:30

Classification of Neurotransmitters

5.2K
Neurotransmitters play a crucial role in the communication between neurons in the autonomic nervous system. Neurons in the autonomic nervous system can be cholinergic or adrenergic depending on the neurotransmitters synthesized. Cholinergic neurons use acetylcholine as their primary neurotransmitter. This includes all the preganglionic fibers of the sympathetic and pre- and postganglionic fibers of the parasympathetic nervous systems. In addition, neurons of the somatic nervous system also use...
5.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Geometric principles of dendritic integration of excitation and inhibition in cortical neurons.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Geometric principles of dendritic integration of excitation and inhibition in cortical neurons.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Abraham Patchornik: The Contemporary Relevance of His Work for Chemistry and Biology.

JACS Au·2025
Same author

Ca<sup>2+</sup>-dependent phosphodiesterase 1 regulates the plasticity of striatal spiny projection neuron glutamatergic synapses.

Cell reports·2024
Same author

Ca <sup>2+</sup> -dependent phosphodiesterase 1 regulates the plasticity of striatal spiny projection neuron glutamatergic synapses.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Bidirectional Neuronal Actuation by Uncaging with Violet and Green Light.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2024
Same journal

High-Throughput Microbial Assay for Amino Acid Measurement in Ground Maize Seed Samples Utilizing Auxotrophic <i>E. coli</i>.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2025
Same journal

Grain Quality in Maize.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2025
Same journal

High-Throughput Assay for Measuring Phytate and Available Phosphorus in Ground Maize Seed Samples.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2025
Same journal

Functional Genomic Analysis of Transposon Insertion Mutant Maize Plants from the UniformMu National Public Resource.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2025
Same journal

The UniformMu National Public Resource: Transposon<i>-</i>Induced Mutant Seeds for Functional Genomics Studies in Maize.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2025
Same journal

Insights from the Study of B<i>-</i>Cell Epitopes of a Microbial Pathogen by Phage Display.

Cold Spring Harbor protocols·2025
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
09:44

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds

Published on: October 15, 2019

14.8K

Nitrophenyl-based caged neurotransmitters.

Graham C R Ellis-Davies

    Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
    |June 4, 2014
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Nitroaromatic photocages enable precise, localized release of neurotransmitters like glutamate in brain slices. This technique, utilizing two-photon excitation, offers advanced control for neuroscience research.

    More Related Videos

    Construction of Cell-based Neurotransmitter Fluorescent Engineered Reporters CNiFERs for Optical Detection of Neurotransmitters In Vivo
    12:48

    Construction of Cell-based Neurotransmitter Fluorescent Engineered Reporters CNiFERs for Optical Detection of Neurotransmitters In Vivo

    Published on: May 12, 2016

    12.4K
    Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants
    18:01

    Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

    Published on: August 18, 2008

    13.8K

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Apr 28, 2026

    Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
    09:44

    Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds

    Published on: October 15, 2019

    14.8K
    Construction of Cell-based Neurotransmitter Fluorescent Engineered Reporters CNiFERs for Optical Detection of Neurotransmitters In Vivo
    12:48

    Construction of Cell-based Neurotransmitter Fluorescent Engineered Reporters CNiFERs for Optical Detection of Neurotransmitters In Vivo

    Published on: May 12, 2016

    12.4K
    Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants
    18:01

    Paradigms for Pharmacological Characterization of C. elegans Synaptic Transmission Mutants

    Published on: August 18, 2008

    13.8K

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Organic Chemistry
    • Photochemistry

    Background:

    • Nitroaromatic compounds, developed in 1966, function as photochemical protecting groups.
    • Since the 1990s, neuroscientists have utilized these chromophores to release various amino acid neurotransmitters.
    • Two-photon excitation of nitroaromatic cages has been employed since 2001 for localized glutamate uncaging.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To highlight the utility of nitroaromatic photocages in neuroscience.
    • To demonstrate the application of two-photon excitation for precise neurotransmitter release.
    • To review the historical development and application of these photochemical tools.

    Main Methods:

    • Development of nitroaromatic photochemical protecting groups.
    • Application of these groups for neurotransmitter release (ACh, glutamate, GABA, glycine).
    • Utilizing two-photon excitation for localized uncaging in brain slices.

    Main Results:

    • Successful liberation of diverse amino acid neurotransmitters.
    • High spatial resolution achieved in uncaging glutamate within acute brain slices.
    • Established nitroaromatic cages as effective tools for neuroscience research.

    Conclusions:

    • Nitroaromatic photocages are versatile tools for neurotransmitter manipulation in neuroscience.
    • Two-photon excitation provides precise spatiotemporal control over neurotransmitter release.
    • This methodology facilitates advanced studies of neural circuits and function.