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Neurotransmitters Flashcards

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1
Q

Define a NT (4 points)

A
  • Must be present in the presynaptic neuron
  • Must be released in response to presynaptic depolarisation
  • Release is usually Ca 2+ dependent
  • Specific receptors must be present on post-synaptic cell
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2
Q

Mechanisms of post-synaptic excitation (cell is becoming more positive)

A
  • Opening of Na channels
  • Suppression of Cl and K channels
  • EPS receptors increase in number and localisation
  • Suppression of inhibitory receptors
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3
Q

Mechanisms of post-synaptic inhibition

A
  • Increased Cl conductance
  • Increased K conductance
  • IPS receptors increase in number and localisation
  • Inhibition of cellular metabolism (< metabotropic response)
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4
Q

What effect do Cl and K channels have on the potential of the cell?

A

Cl channels let Cl INTO the cell to keep it -ve, and K channels let K OUT to keep it -ve. The more of these channels are open the harder it will be for Na to create an AP. The more of these are closed the bigger the effect of Na

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5
Q

What is the NT ACh’s post-synaptic effect?

A

Excitatory

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6
Q

What are the precursors for ACh?

A

Choline and acetyl CoA

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7
Q

What is the removal mechanism for ACh?

A

AChEase (acetylcholinesterase)

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8
Q

Glutamate has an inhibitory post-synaptic effect. (T/F?)

A

FALSE- it is excitatory

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9
Q

What is the prescursor for glutamate?

A

Glutamine

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10
Q

What is the removal mechanism for glutamate?

A

Transporters

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11
Q

What is the most important excitatory NT in the brain?

A

Glutamate

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12
Q

What are the most important inhibitory NTs in the brain?

A

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (cerebrum) and glycine (spinal cord)

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13
Q

Gamma-amino butyric acid has an excitatory post-synaptic effect. (T/F?)

A

FALSE- it is inhibitory

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14
Q

What is the precursor for GABA?

A

Glutamate

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15
Q

What is the removal mechanism for GABA?

A

Transporters

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16
Q

What is the post-synaptic effect of glycine?

A

It is inhibitory

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17
Q

Serine is the precursor for glycine (T/F?)

A

TRUE

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18
Q

What is the removal mechanism for glycine?

A

Transporters

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19
Q

What chemicals does the term “catecholamines” include?

A

Ad, NAd and dopamine

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20
Q

What post-synaptic effect do catecholamines have?

A

Excitatory

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21
Q

Tyrosine is the precursor for catecholamines (T/F?)

A

TRUE

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22
Q

What are the removal mechanisms for catecholamines?

A

Transporters, MAO, COMT

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23
Q

What are MAO and COMT?

A

Enzymes involved in metabolising catecholamine neurotransmitters.

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24
Q

What is the systematic name of serotonin? (Abbr. 5-HT)

A

5- hydroxytryptamine

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25
Serotonin has an excitatory post-synaptic effect (T/F?)
TRUE
26
What is the precursor for serotonin?
Tryptophan
27
What are the removal mechanisms for serotonin?
Transporters, MAO
28
What does MAO stand for?
Monoamine oxidase
29
The post-synaptic effect of histamine is inhibitory (T/F?)
FALSE- it is excitatory
30
What is the pre-cursor for histamine?
Histidine
31
What is the removal mechanism for histamine?
Transporters
32
What is the post-synaptic effect of ATP?
Excitatory
33
What is the precursor for ATP?
ADP
34
What is the removal mechanism for ATP?
Hydrolysis to AMP and adenosine
35
What type of neurotransmitter includes ACh, glutamate, GABA, glycine, catecholamines, serotonin, histamine and ATP?
Small molecular weight NTs
36
What are the post-synaptic effects of neuropeptides?
Excitatory and inhibitory
37
What are the precursors for neuropeptides?
AAs
38
What is the removal mechanism for neuropeptides?
Proteases
39
What is the post-synaptic effects of endocannabinoids?
Inhibits inhibition
40
What are the precursors for endocannabinoids?
Membrane lipids
41
What is the removal mechanism for endocannabinoids?
Hydrolysis
42
What are the post-synaptic effects of NO?
Excitatory and inhibitory
43
What is the precursor for NO?
Arginine
44
What is the removal mechanism for NO?
Spontaneous oxidation
45
Where are small molecule NTs synthesised?
In the nerve terminal
46
Small molecule NTs mediate very slow synaptic action (T/F?)
FALSE- they mediate rapid synaptic action
47
Where are neuropeptides synthesised?
In the cell body
48
What is the speed of synaptic action of neuropeptides compared to the small molecule NTs?
Neuropeptides have slower ongoing synaptic function
49
What is different about the degradation of small molecule NTs and neuropeptides once they a re released from the pre-synaptic membrane?
Small molecule NTs are broken down into their precursors which then diffuse back into the cell. Neuropeptides diffuse away from the terminal and are broken down by proteolytic enzymes.
50
What happens when there is a low frequency of stimulation of the nerve?
There is a localised increase in Ca concentration, which results in the preferential release of small molecule NTs.
51
What happens when there is a high frequency of stimulation of the nerve?
There is a more diffuse increase in Ca concentration, which results in the release of both types of NTs; small molecule NTs in small clear-core vesicles and neuropeptides in large dense core vesicles.
52
What effect does histamine have on the body?
Histamine results in a strong vasodilation, which results in a decrease in BP.
53
What is the difference between ionotropic and metabotropic receptors?
Ionotropic receptors are ligand-gated ion channels, and work very rapidly, about 0.1ms. Metabotropic channels are G protein-coupled receptors, and are slower, taking about 400ms (in the heart).
54
All skeletal muscles are cholinergic in response and have direct cholinergic neurons innervating them. (T/F?)
TRUE
55
Dopamine is capable of activating both G-protein coupled (metabotropic) and ionotropic receptors. (T/F?)
FALSE- Dopamine acts EXCLUSIVELY by activating G-protein coupled (metabotropic) receptors.
56
What happens to excess dopamine?
It is deaminated by MAO in both the PRE and POST-synaptic membrane
57
What type of receptor are ALL of the histamine receptors?
G-protein linked
58
Of the three receptor types that are recognised for ATP, how many are G-protein linked?
Two- one is ionotropic
59
Only one neuropeptide can be released from a single vesicle. (T/F?)
FALSE- more than one NP may be released from a single vesicle
60
What makes a prepropeptide turn into a propeptide?
A prepropeptide has a signal sequence on the end, and once this is cleaved it becomes a propeptide.
61
Propeptides can give rise to more than one peptide NT. (T/F?)
TRUE
62
Nicotinic receptors are ionotropic ACh receptors (T/F?)
TRUE
63
How many subtypes of muscarinic receptors (mAChR) are there?
5
64
Where are the mAChR expressed?
the striatum and other forebrain regions. These inhibit dopamine mediated motor effects
65
Glutamate can cross the B/B barrier. (T/F?)
FALSE- it must synthesised locally from mitochondrial conversion alpha-ketoglutarate (which comes from the CAC)
66
What does EAATs stand for?
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters
67
What is the function of EAATs and where are they located?
They are located on the membranes on both neurons and glial cells. They mediate delivery and uptake of glutamine from glial cells to neurons
68
What is VGLUT and what is its function?
VGLUT is a vesicular glutamate transporter- which loads glutamate into neuronal vesicles
69
The NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) is an ionotropic receptor at which glutamate is excitatory. (T/F?)
TRUE
70
Where is GABA most common?
Local circuit interneurons and cerebellum
71
GABA is removed from the synaptic cleft by specific transporters known as.........?
GAT- GABA transporter
72
GABA is loaded into neuronal vesicles by which transporter?
VIATT- Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transporter
73
There are three types of GABA receptors, GABAa, GABAb and GABAc. Which two are ionotropic?
A and C
74
Which G protein links the GABAb receptor?
GI/O
75
The beta gamma subunit of the GABAb receptor blocks two Ca channels, and activates KIR3.1, which does what?
The opening of the KIR3.1 means K rushes in and brings the potential further away from the threshold. It causes hyperpolarisation of the post-synaptic membrane.
76
The glycine receptor is a gated channel, gated by which ion?
Cl-
77
NO is made by what enzyme?
NOS- NO synthase
78
NO had a rapid offset. What happens to it?
It is quickly oxidised or bound to Hb
79
How is NO modulated?
By regulating NOS function
80
NOS has different isoforms. (T/F?)
TRUE
81
NO is not limited to synapses, as it can diffuse between cells. (T/F?)
TRUE

Neurophys (6 decks)

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