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The vesicular monoamine transporter is a transport protein located within the presynaptic cell. It comprises the two isoforms VMAT1 and VMAT2.

VMAT2 Edit

Impairment and Dysfunction Edit

Cocaine users display a marked reduction in VMAT2 immunoreactivity. Suffers of cocaine-induced mood disorders displayed a significant loss of VMAT2 immunoreactivity, this might reflect damage to striatal dopamine fibers. These neuronal changes could play a role in causing disordered mood and motivational processes in more severely addicted users.^[1]

Binding Sites and Ligands Edit

One binding site is that of DTBZ. Lobeline binds at this site. At a distinct site dextroamphetamine binds. Its activity at VMAT2 is a crucial part of its monoamine releasing action.

References Edit

1. ↑ K.Y. Little et al. (2003). Am J Psychiatry 160, 47-55. Loss of Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Protein (VMAT2) in Human Cocaine Users

Further reading Edit

• Kilbourne, M.R. (1997) In Vivo Radiotracers for Vesicular Neurotransmitter Transporters. Nuclear Medicine & Biology, Vol.24, pp.615-619.

• Weihe, E. and Eiden, L.E. (2000) Chemical neuroanatomy of the vesicular amine transporter. FASEB J, Vol.14, pp.2435-2449.

External linksEdit

• MeSH Vesicular+Monoamine+Transport+Proteins

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