Scientists uncover molecular changes underlying amphetamine and antidepress...( though these psychostimulants have simi...)

"We think this difference will play out chronically in the spectrum of activities that these different drugs have, and in how they are abused and tolerated," Blakely said.

Blakely and Ramamoorthy's findings demonstrate the important role of the neurotransmitter itself in determining whether or not it is actively cleared from the synapse. The transporter's sensitivity to its external environment is likely to be important in shaping and re-shaping individual connections between neurons.

"The fact that the transporter is so highly regulated from both inside and outside the neuron underscores the importance of setting the exact tone for neurotransmitter clearance. We believe that there are disease processes where that tone is disrupted," Blakely said.

The research was supported by the NIH and the National Association for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD).

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Contact: Matt Scanlan
matt.scanlan@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu
615-322-4747
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
30-Jul-1999