Excitatory synapse plasticity at postsynaptic dendritic spines is directly modulated through neurotransmitter signaling. Serotonin (5-HT) is a primary neuromodulator in the brain that activates 14 subtypes of G-protein-coupled receptors, each with distinct expression patterns and downstream signaling mechanisms. Disruptions of serotonergic transmission during development and adulthood induce...
Ligands can induce G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to adopt a myriad of conformations, many of which play critical roles in determining the activation of specific signaling cascades associated with distinct functional and behavioral consequences. For example, the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is the target of classic hallucinogens, atypical antipsychotics, and psychoplastogens....