Neurons in the human brain communicate with each other by releasing chemical messengers
called neurotransmitters (electrical synapses are present, but in the distinct minority).
The utility cycle of all neurotransmitter molecules is similar: they are synthesized
and packaged into vesicles in the presynaptic cell; they are released from the presynaptic
cell and bind to receptors on one or more postsynaptic cells, and once released into
the synaptic cleft, they are rapidly removed or degraded. The total number of neurotransmitters
is not known, but is likely to be well over 100. Despite this diversity, these agents
can be classified into three broad categories: small-molecule neurotransmitters, neuropeptides,
and unconventional transmitters. In general, small-molecule neurotransmitters mediate
rapid reactions, whereas neuropeptides tend to modulate slower, ongoing brain functions.
Abnormal transmitter functions may cause a wide range of neurological and psychiatric
disorders; as a result altering the actions of neurotransmitters by pharmacological
or other means is central to many modern therapeutic strategies.
Neurotransmitters are chemical signals released from presynaptic nerve terminals into
the synaptic cleft. The subsequent binding of neurotransmitters to specific receptors
on postsynaptic neurons (or other cell classes) briefly changes the electrical properties
of the target cells. Over the years, a number of formal criteria have emerged that
definitively identify a substance as a neurotransmitter. Identifying the neurotransmitter
active at any particular synapse remains a difficult undertaking, and for many synapses
(particularly in the brain), the nature of the neurotransmitter is not yet known.
Substances that have not met all the criteria are referred to as putative neurotransmitters.
The special characteristics of neurotransmitters are made clearer by comparing their
actions to another type of chemical signal, the hormones secreted by the endocrine
system. Hormones typically influence target cells far removed from the hormone-secreting
cell. This “action at a distance” is achieved by the release of hormones into the
bloodstream. In contrast, the distance over which neurotransmitters act is always
much less. At many synapses, transmitters bind only to receptors on the postsynaptic
cell that directly underlies the presynaptic terminal, in such cases, the transmitters
act over distances less than a micrometer. At other synapses, neurotransmitters diffuse
locally to alter the electrical properties of multiple postsynaptic (and sometimes
presynaptic) cells in the vicinity of the presynaptic release sites. While the distinction
between neurotransmitters and hormones is generally clear-cut, a substance can act
as a neurotransmitter in one region of the brain while serving as a hormone elsewhere.
For example, vasopressin and oxytocin, two peptide hormones that are released into
the circulation from the posterior pituitary, also function as neurotransmitters at
a number of central synapses. A number of other peptides also serve as both hormones
and neurotransmitters.
By the 1950s, the list of neurotransmitters had expanded to include three amines –
epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin – in addition to acetylcholine (Ach). Over the
following decade, four amino acids – glutamate, aspartate, ã-aminobutyric acid (GABA),
and glycine – were also shown to be neurotransmitters. Subsequently, other small molecules,
including nor-epinephrine and histamine, were identified a transmitters, and considerable
evidence now suggests that several purines (such as ATP, adenosine, and AMP) should
be added to the list. The most recent class of molecules now know to be transmitters
are a large number of polypeptides; since the 1970s, more than 100 such molecules
have been shown to meet at least some of the criteria for a neurotransmitter. For
purposes of discussion, it is useful to separate this variety of agents into two board
categories based on size. Neuropeptides are relatively large transmitter molecules
composed of 3 to 36 amino acids. Individual amino acids, such as glutamate and GABA,
as well as acetylcholine, serotonin, and histamine, are much smaller than neuropeptides
and are therefore called small-molecule neurotransmitters. Within the category of
small-molecule neurotransmitters, the biogenic amines (dopamine, nor-epinephrine,
epinephrine, serotonin, and histamine) are often discussed separately because their
chemical properties and postsynaptic actions are distinct from the other neurotransmitters
in this group.
Until recently, it was believed that a given neurone produced only a single type of
neurotransmitter. There is now convincing evidence, however, that many neurones contain
and release two or more different neurotransmitters. There are numerous examples of
different peptides in the same terminal, as well as cases in which two small-molecule
neurotransmitters are found within the same neurone, or in which a peptide neurotransmitter
is found along with a small-molecule neurotransmitter. When more than one transmitter
is present within a nerve terminal, the molecules are called co-transmitters. Because
each class of transmitter is usually packaged in a separate population of synaptic
vesicles, co-transmitters often are segregated within a presynaptic terminal (although
there are also instances in which two or more co-transmitters are present in the same
synaptic vesicle). The presence of co-transmitters lends considerable versatility
to synaptic transmission. In particular, if a presynaptic terminal packages co-transmitters
in different types of vesicles, then these transmitters need not be released simultaneously.
In fact, co-transmitters release varies with the frequency of presynaptic stimulation:
empirically, low-frequency stimulation often releases only small neurotransmitters,
whereas high-frequency stimulation is required to release neuropeptides from the same
presynaptic terminals. In this way, the presence of co-transmitters allows the chemical
signaling properties of a synapse to changes according to the level of presynaptic
activity.
The differential release of co-transmitters is probably based on the distribution
of Ca++ and vesicles in presynaptic terminals. Typically, a presynaptic terminal packages
small-molecule co-transmitters into relatively small synaptic vesicles (often with
a clear core), some of which are docked at the plasma membrane, in contrast, peptide
co-transmitters are contained within large dense-core synaptic vesicles that are farther
away from the plasma membrane. At low firing frequencies, the concentration of Ca++
may increase only in the vicinity of presynaptic Ca++ channels, limiting release to
small-molecule transmitters because of the selective fusion of small vesicles located
immediately adjacent to the channels. High-frequency stimulation increases the Ca++
concentration more evenly throughout the presynaptic terminal, thereby inducing the
release of neuropeptides from the larger, more distant vesicles.
Effective synaptic transmission requires close control of the concentration of neurotransmitters
within the synaptic cleft. Neurones have therefore developed a sophisticated ability
to regulate the synthesis, packaging, release, and degradation (or removal) of neurotransmitters.
In general, each of these processes is specific for a particular transmitter and requires
a number of enzymes that are found only in neurons that use the transmitter at their
synapses. As a rule, the synthesis of small-molecule neurotransmitters occurs locally
within presynaptic terminals. The enzymes needed for transmitter syntheses are transported
to the nerve terminal cytoplasm at a rate of 0.5 to 5 millimetres a day, by a mechanism
known as slow axonal transport. The precursor molecules used by these enzymes are
usually taken into the nerve terminal by transport proteins found in the plasma membrane
of the terminal. The synthetic enzymes generate a cytoplasmic pool of free neurotransmitter
that must then be loaded into synaptic vesicles by vesicular membrane transport proteins.
The mechanisms responsible for the synthesis and packaging of peptide transmitters
are fundamentally different from those of the small-molecule neurotransmitters. Peptide-secreting
neurones, like other cells, carry out gene transcription in their cell bodies. Transcription
often results in the synthesis of polypeptides that are much larger than the final,
“mature” peptide. Processing these polypeptides, called pre-propeptides (or pre-proproteins),
takes place by a sequence of reactions in a number of intracellular organelles. Pre-propeptides
are synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, where the signal sequence of amino
acids – that is, the sequence indicating, that the peptide is to be secreted – is
removed. The remaining polypeptide, called a propeptide (or proprotein), then traverses
the Golgi apparatus and is packaged into vesicles in the trans-Golgi network. The
final stages of peptide neurotransmitter processing occur after packaging into vesicles,
and involve proteolytic cleavage, modification of the ends of the peptide, glycosylation,
phosphorylation, and disulphide bond formation.
In general, neuropeptide synthesis is much like the synthesis of proteins secreted
from non-neuronal cells (e.g. hepatic enzymes). A major difference, however, is that
the neuronal axon often presents a very long distance between the site of a peptide’s
synthesis and its secretion. The peptide-filled vesicles must therefore be transported
along the axon to the synaptic terminal. The mechanism responsible for such movement,
known as fast axonal transport, carries vesicles at rates up to 400 mm/day along cytoskeletal
elements called microtubules. Microtubules are long, cylindrical filaments, 25 nm
in diameter that is present throughout neurones and other cells. Peptide-containing
vesicles are moved along these microtubule “tracks” by ATP-requiring “motor” proteins
such as kinesin. Following their synthesis, neurotransmitters are stored within synaptic
vesicles. The nature of these vesicles varies for different transmitters. Some of
the small-molecule neurotransmitters – acetylcholine and the amino acid transmitters
– are packaged in small vesicles 40-60 nm in diameter, the centers of which appear
clear in electron micrographs, accordingly, these vesicles are referred to as small
clear-core vesicles. Neurotransmitters are concentrated in synaptic vesicles by transporter
proteins in an energy-requiring mechanism. Neuropeptides, in contrast, are packaged
into larger synaptic vesicles that range from 90 to 250 nm in diameter and, with appropriate
fixation, appear electron-dense in electron micrographs – hence, these are referred
to as large dense-core vesicles. The biogenic amine neurotransmitters are packaged
into at least two types of vesicles that are different from either the small clear-core
vesicles or the large dense-core vesicles. Vesicles containing biogenic amines can
either be small (40-60 nm diameter) dense-core vesicles, or larger (60-120 nm diameter)
irregularly shaped, dense-core vesicles, depending on the particular class of neurone.
Once filled with transmitter molecules, vesicles associate with the presynaptic membrane
and fuse with it in response to Ca2+ influx. The mechanisms of exocytotic release
are similar for all transmitters, although there are differences in the speed of this
process. In general, small-molecule transmitters are secreted more rapidly than peptides.
For example, while secretion of ACh from motor neurones requires only a fraction of
a millisecond, many neuroendocrine cells, such as those in the hypothalamus, require
high-frequency bursts of action potentials for many second to release peptide hormones
from their nerve terminals. These differences in the rate of transmitter release make
neurotransmission relatively rapid at synapses employing small-molecule transmitters
and slower at synapses that use peptides. Such differences in the rate of release
probably arise from spatial differences in vesicle localization and presynaptic Ca++
signaling. Thus, the small clear-core vesicles used to store small-molecule transmitters
are often docked at active zones (specialized regions of the presynaptic membrane),
whereas the large dense-core vesicles used to store peptides are not. Biogenic amines
are packaged into small vesicles that dock at active zones in some neurones, while
in others they are packaged and released much like peptides.
When the transmitter has been secreted into the synaptic cleft, it binds to specific
receptors on the postsynaptic cell to engage in another cycle of neurotransmitter
release, binding, and signal generation. The mechanisms by which neurotransmitters
are removed vary, but always involve diffusion in combination with reuptake into nerve
terminals or surrounding glial cells, degradation by specific enzymes, or in some
cases a combination of these. For most of the small-molecule neurotransmitters there
are transporters that remove the transmitters (or their metabolites) from the synaptic
cleft, ultimately delivering these molecules back to the presynaptic terminal. Not
surprisingly, the particulars of the processes of synthesis, packaging, release and
removal differ for each neurotransmitter.
17.1 Classical neuro-transmitters
17.1.1 Acetylcholine (ACh)
ACh is the neurotransmitter at neuromuscular junctions, at synapses in sympathetic
and parasympathetic ganglia of the peripheral autonomic nervous system, and at many
sites within the central nervous system. Two major cholinergic neuronal groups are
the basal forebrain nuclear complex and the cholinergic nuclei of the brain-stem tegmentum.
ACh may also act in some pain and chemosensory pathways. Whereas a great deal is known
about the function of cholinergic transmission at the neuromuscular junction and at
ganglionic synapses, the role of ACh in the central nervous system is not as well
understood.
ACh is synthesized in nerve terminals from acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA) and choline,
in a reaction catalyzed by choline acetyltransferase (CAT). In contrast to most other
small-molecule neurotransmitters, the postsynaptic actions of ACh are not terminated
by reuptake, but by a powerful hydrolytic enzyme, acetylcholine-esterase (AChE). This
enzyme is concentrated in the synaptic cleft, ensuring a rapid decrease in ACh concentration
after its release from the presynaptic terminal. AChE has a very high catalytic activity
(5000 molecules of ACh per AChE molecule per second) and hydrolyzes ACh into acetate
and choline. Cholinergic nerve terminals contain a high-affinity, Na+-dependent transporter
that takes up the choline produced by ACh hydrolysis. Among the many interesting drugs
that interact with cholinergic enzymes are the organo-phosphates. These compounds
include mustard gas (a chemical widely used in World War I), numerous insecticides,
and sarin, the agent recently made notorious by a group of Japanese terrorists. Organo-phosphates
can be lethal to humans (and insects) because they inhibit AChE, causing ACh to accumulate
at cholinergic synapses. This build-up of ACh depolarizes the postsynaptic cell and
renders it refractory to subsequent ACh release, causing neuromuscular paralysis.
17.1.2 Glutamate
Glutamate is generally conceded to be the most important transmitter for normal brain
function. Nearly all excitatory neurons in the central nervous system are glutamatergic,
and it is estimated that over half of all brain synapses release this agent. Glutamate
plays an especially important role in clinical neurology because elevated concentrations
of extracellular glutamate, released as a result of neural injury, are highly toxic
to neurones. The most prevalent glutamate precursor in synaptic terminals is glutamine.
Glutamine is released by glial cells and, within presynaptic terminals, is metabolized
to glutamate by the mitochondrial enzyme glutaminase. Following its packaging and
release, glutamate is removed from the synaptic cleft by high-affinity glutamate transporters
present in both glial cells and presynaptic terminals. Glial cells contain the enzyme
glutamine synthetase, which converts glutamate into glutamine. Glutamine is then transported
out of the glial cells and into terminals. In this way, synaptic terminals work together
with glial cells to maintain an adequate supply of the neurotransmitter. This synthetic
pathway is referred to as the glutamate-glutamine cycle.
17.1.3 GABA and glycine
Most inhibitory neurons in the brain and spinal cord use either ?-aminobutyric acid
(GABA) or glycine as a neurotransmitter. Remarkably, as many as one-third of the synapses
in the brain appear to use GABA as their neurotransmitter. Unlike glutamate, GABA
is not an essential metabolite, nor is it incorporated into protein. Thus, the presence
of GABA in neurones and terminals is a good initial indication that the cells use
GABA as a neurotransmitter. GABA is most commonly found in local-circuit interneurones,
although the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum provide an example of a GABAergic projection
neurone. GABA is synthesized from glutamate by the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase
(GAD), which is found almost exclusively in GABAergic neurons. GAD requires a cofactor,
pyridoxal phosphate, for activity. Because pyridoxal phosphate is derived from vitamin
B6, a dietary deficiency of B6 can lead to diminished GABA synthesis. The significance
of this fact became clear after a disastrous series of infant deaths was linked to
the omission of vitamin B6 from infant formula. The lack of B6 resulted in a large
reduction in the GABA content of the brain, the subsequent loss of synaptic inhibition
caused seizures that in some cases were fatal. The mechanism of GABA removal is similar
to that for glutamate; both neurones and glia contain high-affinity transporters for
GABA. Most GABA is eventually converted to succinate, which is metabolized further
in the tricarboxylic acid cycle that mediates cellular ATP synthesis. The enzymes
required for this degradation, GABA aminotransferase and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase,
are both mitochondrial enzymes. Inhibition of GABA breakdown causes a rise in tissue
GABA content and an increase in the activity of inhibitory neurones. Because epileptic
seizures can arise from a decrease in neuronal inhibition, a GABA aminotransferase
inhibitor, sodium dipropylacetate, is widely used as an anticonvulsant. Drugs that
act as agonists or as modulators on postsynaptic GABA receptors, such as barbiturates,
are also used clinically to treat epilepsy, and are effective sedatives and anesthetics.
The distribution of the neutral amino acid glycine in the central nervous system is
more localized than that of GABA. Glycine inhibits the firing of spinal cord and brainstem
motor neurones but has only a weak effect on neurones of the cerebral cortex. About
half of the inhibitory synapses in the spinal cord use glycine, most of the others
use GABA. Glycine is synthesized from serine by the mitochondrial isoform of serine
hydroxymethyltransferase. Once released from the presynaptic cell, glycine is rapidly
removed from the synaptic cleft by specific membrane transporters. Mutations in the
genes that code for some of these enzymes result in hyperglycinaemia, a devastating
neonatal disease characterized by lethargy, seizures, and mental retardation.
17.1.4 The biogenic amines
There are five established biogenic amine neurotransmitters: the three catecholamines
– nor-epinephrine (nor-adrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopamine – and histamine
and serotonin. Some aspects of the synthesis and degradation of the amine neurotransmitters
are still not well defined, but many of the properties of these processes fall somewhere
between those of the other small-molecule neurotransmitters and those of the neuropeptides.
Drugs that interfere with biogenic amine metabolism are especially important as treatments
for a variety of clinical disorders. All the catecholamines are derived from a common
precursor, the amino acid tyrosine. The first step in catecholamine synthesis is catalyzed
by tyrosine hydroxylase and results in the synthesis of dihydroxy-phenylalanine (DOPA).
Because tyrosine hydroxylase is rate-limiting for the synthesis of all three transmitters,
its presence is a valuable criterion for identifying catecholaminergic neurons.
Dopamine is produced by the action of DOPA decarboxylase on DOPA. Although present
in several brain regions, the major dopamine-containing area of the brain is the substantia
nigra, which plays an essential role in the control of body movements. In Parkinson’s
disease, the dopaminergic neurones of the substantia nigra degenerate, leading to
a characteristic motor dysfunction. Because dopamine does not readily cross the blood-brain
barrier, the disease can be treated by administering DOPA together with drugs that
prevent catacholamine breakdown.
Norepinephrine synthesis requires dopamine ß-hydroxylase, which catalyzes the production
of norepinephrine from dopamine. Neurones that synthesize norepinephrine are largely
restricted to the locus coeruleus, a brainstem nucleus that projects diffusely to
the midbrain and telencephalon. These neurones are especially important in modulating
sleep and wakefulness.
Epinephrine is present at much lower levels in the brain than any of the other catecholamines.
The enzyme that synthesizes epinephrine, phenyl-ethanolamine-N-methyltransferase,
is present only in adrenaline-secreting neurones. Sensitive methods that identify
epinephrine have confirmed the existence of epinephrine-containing neurones in the
central nervous system and shown them to be located in two groups in the rostral medulla.
The function of these epinephrine-containing neurones in the brain is not known. All
three catecholamines are removed by reuptake into terminals, or into surrounding glial
cells, by an Na+-dependent transporter. The two major enzymes involved in the catabolism
of catecholamines are monoamine oxidase (MAO) and catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT),
both of which are present within catecholaminergic nerve terminals and are the targets
of numerous psychotropic drugs.
Histamine has long been known to be released from mast cells and platelets in response
to allergic reactions or tissue damage. Only recently, however, has this amine been
implicated as a neurotransmitter. Histamine is produced from the amino acid histidine
by a histidine decarboxylase. High concentrations of histamine and histamine decarboxylase
are found in the hypothalamus, from whence histaminergic neurones send sparse but
widespread projections to almost all regions of the brain and spinal cord. Their function
remains uncertain.
Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is also synthesized from one of the common
amino acids – in this case, tryptophan. An essential dietary requirement, tryptophan
is taken up into neurones by a plasma membrane transporter and hydroxylated in a reaction
catalyzed by the enzyme tryptophan-5-hydroxylase. As in the case of the catecholamines,
this reaction is the rate-limiting step for 5-HT synthesis. Serotonin is located in
discrete groups of neurons in the raphe regions of the pons and upper brain-stem,
these cells send widespread projections to the telencephalon and diencephalon and
have also been implicated in the regulation of sleep and wake-fullness.
17.1.5 ATP and other purines
All synaptic vesicles contain ATP, which is co-released with one or more “classical”
neurotransmitters. There is now strong evidence that ATP acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter
in the periphery. Postsynaptic actions of ATP have also been demonstrated in the central
nervous system, specifically at dorsal horn neurons and in a subset of hippocampal
neurons. Purines act on a large and diverse family of receptors, many of which have
recently been cloned. Whether or not purines play a role in synaptic transmission
depends on the presence and/or distribution of purinergic receptors near the sites
of release. These receptors have been separated into two major families: the P1 receptors,
activated predominantly by ATP and ADP, and the P2 receptors, activated predominantly
by AMP and adenosine. These receptors can be either ion channels or G-protein-coupled
receptors, and their activation may subtly shape postsynaptic responses to classical
neurotransmitters. Alternatively, if purinergic receptors are located presynaptically,
their activation could modulate neurotransmitter release. In any event, it seems likely
that excitatory synaptic transmission mediated by purinergic receptors is widespread
in the mammalian brain.
17.2 Peptide neurotransmitters (neuropeptides)
Many peptides are well known as hormones in endocrine cells, including neurons in
the neuroendocrine regions of the brain such as the hypothalamus and pituitary. Advances
in the ability to detect and isolate these molecules have now shown that peptides
may also act as neurotransmitters, often being co-released with small-molecule neurotransmitters.
The biological activity of the peptide neurotransmitters depends on the sequence of
their amino acids. Propeptide precursors are often many times larger than their active
peptide products and can given rise to more than one species of neuropeptide (Table
1).
Since each of these peptide products can be separately contained in synaptic vesicles,
transmission based on peptides often elicits complex postsynaptic responses. Peptide
transmitters have been implicated in modulating emotions, and some, such as substance
P and the opioid peptides, are involved in the perception of pain. Still other peptides,
such as melanocyte-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropin, and ß-endorphin, regulate
complex responses to stress, whereas neuronal vasopressin and oxytocin are implicated
in learning and memory processes.
17.2.1 Substance P
Substance P is an 11-amino acid peptide present in high concentrations in the human
hippocampus and neocortex. It is also released from C fibers, the small-diameter afferents
in peripheral nerves that convey information about pain and temperature (as well as
postganglionic autonomic signals). Substance P is a sensory neurotransmitter in the
spinal cord, where its release can be inhibited by opioid peptides released from spinal
cord interneurones, resulting in the suppression of pain. The protease responsible
from the inactivation of Substance P is associated with synaptic membranes.
17.2.2 Opioid peptides
Morphine has long been known to be an especially effective analgesic. This and other
opiate drugs affect the perception of pain by interacting with specific receptors
expressed at a number of sites in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The
endogenous opioid peptides were discovered during a search for endogenous compounds
that mimicked the actions of morphine. It was hoped that such compounds would be analgesics,
and that their understanding would shed light on addiction to morphine and other narcotics.
The endogenous ligands of the opioid receptors have now been identified as a family
of more than 20 opioid peptides grouped into three classes: the endorphins, the enkephalins,
and the dynorphins, each class being liberated from an inactive pre-propeptide. These
precursors are the product of three distinct genes: pre-pro-opiomelanocortin, pre-pro-enkephalin
A, and pre-pro-dynorphin. Opioid precursor processing is tissue-specific due to the
differential expression of the processing enzymes. The pro-opiomelanocortin precursor
also contains the sequences for several non-opioid neuropeptides, such as the stress
hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and a-, ß-, and ?-melanocyte stimulating
hormone (MSH). Opioid peptides are widely distributed throughout the brain. In general,
these peptides tend to be depressants. When injected intracerebrally, they act as
analgesics, and have been implicated in the mechanisms underlying acupuncture-induced
analgesia. Unfortunately, the repeated administration of endorphins leads to tolerance
and addiction. Although the results of opioid research have not yet provided a complete
understanding of narcotic addiction, a solid basis of knowledge has been established
that promises ultimately to solve this extraordinary social and medical problem.
17.2.3 Posterior pituitary peptides (vasopressin, oxytocin)
Vasopressin exerts a long-term facilitating effect on learning and memory processes,
and also prevents and reverses retrograde amnesia. In contrast to vasopressin, oxytocin
is an amnesic neuropeptide. Endogenous vasopressin and oxytocin in the dorsal septum
or in the ventral hippocampus is of particular importance for learning and memory
processes. The two nonapeptides are not only secreted from the neurohypophysis into
the general circulation, but - probably upon some specific stimuli, and largely independently
of their peripheral release - are also released intracerebrally (e.g. into septum).
The experiments provide additional evidence for an involvement of endogenous vasopressin
and oxytocin in the regulation of learning and memory processes. Based on electrophysiological
findings, one might conclude that a neurotransmitter-like effect is associated with
vasopressin in limbic brain structures. Vasopressin is capable of modulating long-term
potentiation, which is believed to be an electrophysiological basis of memory processes,
and to enhance the response to glutamate, which might be an indication that vasopressin
acts as a neuromodulator of excitatory pathways in the limbic-midbrain. Interestingly,
the coerulo-telencephalic noradrenaline system may mediate the effects of vasopressin
on memory consolidation, providing a functional evidence for the interactions of classical
transmitters with neuropeptides. Vasopressin and oxytocin are converted to highly
selective memory molecules in the brain as [Cyt6]AVP4-9/5-9 and [Cyt6]AVP4-8/4-9.
These peptide fragments are more effective than the parent nonapeptides on behavioral
processes.
17.3 Unconventional transmitters (nitric oxide: new mechanisms of neurotrasnmitter
action)
Some years ago nitric oxide (NO) was thought about primarily as a toxic gas relevant
to air pollution. The discovery, in 1987, that NO is a signalling molecule that modulates
vascular tone has sparked tremendous interest in the biological effects of this molecule,
which is now recognized as a novel chemical messenger for a number of cell types,
including neurones. Nitric oxide is certainly not a classical neurotransmitter in
the central nervous system, it is a short-lived radical that interacts with surrounding
neurones by diffusing across membranes, rather than being released by exocytosis and
interacting with membrane-bound receptors. In this sense, NO represents a significant
departure from all neurotransmitter mechanisms characterized to date. Nitric oxide
is synthesized from L-arginine following stimulation of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase
(NOS). Neuronal-type nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a widely distributed calmodulin-regulated
enzyme and is coupled to a variety of neurotransmitter systems in the brain and in
peripheral tissues. Once generated, NO can diffuse locally and interact with target
molecules such as guanylyl cyclase, the enzyme catalyzing cGMP synthesis. NO and cGMP
together comprise an especially wide-ranging signal transduction system that may also
play an important role in neurological disease. An emerging hypothesis is that the
balance between nitric oxide and superoxide generation is a critical factor in the
etiology of some neurodegenerative diseases. Nitric oxide defies current classification
schemes in that it can function both as a neurotransmitter and a second messenger.
In any event, it demonstrates that, despite a century-long analysis of neurotransmitter
mechanisms, this field still has some surprises in store.
17.4 Summary
The large number of neurotransmitters in the nervous system can be divided into three
broad classes: small-molecule (classical) transmitters, neuropeptides and unconventional
transmitters. Neurotransmitters are synthesized from defined precursors by regulated
enzymatic pathways, packaged into one of a variety of vesicle types, and released
into the synaptic cleft in a Ca++-dependent manner. Many synapses release more than
one type of neurotransmitter, and multiple transmitters are sometimes packaged in
the same synaptic vesicle. The postsynaptic effects of neurotransmitters are terminated
by the transmitter back into cells, or by diffusion out of the synaptic cleft. Glutamate
is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, whereas GABA and glycine are
the major inhibitory neurotransmitters. The actions of these small-molecule neurotransmitters
are typically faster than those of the neuropeptides. Thus, the small-molecule transmitters
usually mediate synaptic transmission when a speedy response is essential, whereas
the neuropeptide transmitters, as well as the biogenic amines and some other small-molecule
neurotransmitters, can regulate or modulate ongoing activity in the brain or in peripheral
target tissues. The enormous importance of drugs that influence transmitter actions
in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders guarantees that a steady
stream of new information in this filed will be forthcoming.