Vesicular monoamine transporter 2

Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is a membrane protein that uses a proton gradient to load monoamine neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles for storage and release.

Vesicular monoamine transporter: A family of membrane proteins that transport monoamine neurotransmitters into secretory vesicles. VMAT2 is one of the two mammalian transporters in this family.
Tetrabenazine: A drug that inhibits VMAT2 and is used to treat chorea associated with Huntington disease. Its therapeutic action reduces monoamine storage and signaling by inhibiting VMAT2.
Dopamine: A catecholamine neurotransmitter involved in movement, motivation, reward, and endocrine regulation. VMAT2 packages dopamine in neurons that use it for synaptic signaling.
Robert Edwards (neuroscientist): A neuroscientist whose work helped establish vesicular transport as a mechanism for neurotransmitter storage. His research contributed to identifying and characterizing vesicular monoamine transport.
Proton gradient: A difference in proton concentration across a membrane that stores electrochemical energy. VMAT2 exchanges vesicular protons for cytosolic monoamines.
Deutetrabenazine: A deuterated form of tetrabenazine used to treat chorea and tardive dyskinesia. It is a clinically used VMAT2 inhibitor with altered drug metabolism.
Serotonin: A monoamine neurotransmitter involved in mood, sleep, appetite, and other physiological functions. VMAT2 transports serotonin into vesicles in serotonergic neurons.
VMAT1: A vesicular monoamine transporter isoform expressed mainly in peripheral neuroendocrine and endocrine cells. Comparing VMAT1 with VMAT2 reveals their distinct tissue distributions and physiological roles.
Synaptic vesicle: A small membrane-bound compartment that stores neurotransmitters for release at synapses. VMAT2 resides in vesicle membranes and fills these compartments with monoamines.
Valbenazine: A selective VMAT2 inhibitor approved for treating tardive dyskinesia and chorea associated with Huntington disease. Its therapeutic effects arise from limiting vesicular monoamine packaging.

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