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Abstract
Two classes of receptors transduce neurotransmitter signals: ionotropic receptors
and heptahelical metabotropic receptors. Whereas the ionotropic receptors are structurally
associated with a membrane channel, a mediating mechanism is necessary to functionally
link metabotropic receptors with their respective effectors. According to the accepted
paradigm, the first step in the metabotropic transduction process requires the activation
of heterotrimeric G-proteins. An increasing number of observations, however, point
to a novel mechanism through which neurotransmitters can initiate biochemical signals
and modulate neuronal excitability. According to this mechanism metabotropic receptors
induce responses by activating transduction systems that do not involve G-proteins.