Serotonin Heteroreceptor Complexes and Their Integration of Signals in Neurons and Astroglia—Relevance for Mental Diseases
Cells July 27, 2021 Dasiel O Borroto-Escuela, Patrizia Ambrogini, Manuel Narváez et al. 29 citations
Heteroreceptor complexes represent a new biological principle for signal integration in the brain, with bidirectional allosteric receptor–receptor interactions offering novel targets for treating CNS diseases, including mental disorders. The existence of D2R-5-HT2AR heterocomplexes can explain the anti-schizophrenic effects of atypical antipsychotics through blocking the allosteric enhancement of D2R signaling by 5-HT2AR activation. This principle also helps understand mechanisms of 5-HT hallucinogens like psilocybin and the prosocial, anti-stress actions of MDMA. GalR1-GalR2 heterodimers and putative GalR1-GalR2-5-HT1 complexes are targets for galanin fragment Gal(1–15) in modulating emotional networks. Antidepressant drugs, including TCAs, SSRIs, and ketamine, can directly bind to the TrkB receptor, providing a novel mechanism for their actions. Astrocytes and their allosteric receptor–receptor interactions in modulating forebrain glutamate synapses are relevant to major depressive disorder research.