Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2025
08:49
Rapid In Situ Hybridization using Oligonucleotide Probes on Paraformaldehyde-prefixed Brain of Rats with Serotonin Syndrome
Published on: September 23, 2015
8.8K
Coding principles and mechanisms of serotonergic transmission modes
Yajun Zhang1, Peng Zhang1, Mimi Shin2
1Departments of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
Molecular Psychiatry
|February 22, 2025
Summary
New methods reveal how serotonin transmission modes are regulated by neuron firing patterns. Serotonin (5-HT) uses synaptic or volume transmission based on activity, impacting brain communication.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurochemistry
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Serotonin's role in behavior and disease is known, but its communication mechanisms and regulation are unclear.
- Existing monitoring tools limit understanding of serotonin transmission dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and employ advanced methods for simultaneous recording of diverse serotonergic transmission.
- To elucidate the coding principles of activity pattern-dependent serotonergic transmission modes.
Main Methods:
- Multiplexing genetically encoded sensor-based imaging and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.
- Utilizing a genetically encoded sensor-based image analysis program (GESIAP).
- Simultaneous recordings of synaptic, perisynaptic, and extrasynaptic serotonergic transmission in mouse models.
Main Results:
- Heterogeneous firing patterns of serotonergic neurons create distinct transmission modes (synaptic vs. volume).
- Serotonin transmission is modulated by firing pulse frequency, number, synchrony, neurotransmitter quantity, and synapse count.
- Synaptic transmission dominates during low-frequency activity due to transporter reuptake; volume transmission occurs during high-frequency or transporter-inhibited states.
Conclusions:
- Channeled synaptic enclosures, synaptic properties, and transporters collaboratively define serotonergic transmission modes.
- Serotonin transmission coding is dependent on neural activity patterns.
- This study provides novel insights into the regulation of serotonin signaling in the brain.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action
2.0K
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...
2.0K
01:23Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Serotonin Receptor Agonists
202
Serotonin, a crucial neurotransmitter synthesized by enterochromaffin cells, plays a cardinal role in regulating gastrointestinal (GI) motility. With over 90% of the body's total serotonin in the GI tract, its influence on digestive processes is profound. Serotonin is swiftly released upon various stimuli, such as food boluses or certain drugs, triggering intrinsic sensory neurons in the myenteric plexus and extrinsic vagal and spinal sensory neurons. This leads to the activation of the...
202
01:23Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
178
Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
178
01:21Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake
921
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...
921
01:21G-protein Coupled Receptors
114.5K
G-protein coupled receptors are ligand binding receptors that indirectly affect changes in the cell. The actual receptor is a single polypeptide that transverses the cell membrane seven times creating intracellular and extracellular loops. The extracellular loops create a ligand specific pocket which binds to neurotransmitters or hormones. The intracellular loops holds onto the G-protein.
114.5K
01:28Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs
276
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), including Desipramine (Norpramin), Imipramine (Tofranil), Clomipramine (Anafranil), and Amitriptyline (Elavil), inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and also block other receptors. They are used for depression, pain conditions, and insomnia. Common adverse effects include anticholinergic effects, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and weight gain. They have a narrow therapeutic window and so require plasma-level monitoring. Abrupt discontinuation can...
276