Vesicular monoamine transporter

The vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) is a transport protein integrated into the membrane of intracellular vesicles of presynaptic neurons. It acts to transport monoamines into the synaptic vesicles.

Contents

Isoforms

The two isoforms are:

Monoamines

Monoamines transported by VMATs are mainly noradrenaline, adrenaline and isoprenaline. However, other substrates include dopamine, 5-HT, guanethidine and MPP+.[1]

Clinical significance

VMAT can be inhibited by reserpine, tetrabenazine[1] and ibogaine[2].

VMAT is the main target of methamphetamine. By acting as a competitive antagonist, methamphetamine blocks the presynaptic cell's ability to use VMAT to package the above mentioned neurotransmitters into vesicles. The result is increased neurotransmitter release that is not dependent on the phasic activity of the presynaptic cell.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Rang, H. P. (2003). Pharmacology. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0-443-07145-4.  Page 167
  2. ^ "The Ibogaine Dossier. Pharmacology of Ibogaine". http://ibogaine.desk.nl/alkaloids.html. 

Further reading