A Structural Context for Studying Neurotransmitter Transporter Function

The Na + /Cl − -dependent neurotransmitter transporters (NTs) constitute a family of homologous membrane proteins responsible for the reuptake from the synaptic cleft of neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glycine, as well as other small molecules, such as proline, creatine, betaine, and taurine. These transporters couple the movement of sodium down its electrochemical gradient to the translocation of substrate across the plasma membrane. The biogenic amine transporters, including the dopamine transporter (DAT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and the serotonin transporter (SERT), are the molecular targets for psychostimulant drugs, including cocaine and amphetamine. These transporters are also targets for many antidepressants. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.