Heteroreceptor

Updated on Jan 10, 2024

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A heteroreceptor is a receptor regulating the synthesis and/or the release of mediators other than its own ligand.

Heteroreceptors are receptors that respond to neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones released from adjacent neurons or cells; they are opposite to autoreceptors, which are sensitive only to neurotransmitters or hormones released by the cell in whose wall they are embedded.

Examples

Norepinephrine can influence the release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic neurons by acting on α2 adrenergic (α_2A, α_2B, and α_2C) heteroreceptors.

Acetylcholine can influence the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic neurons by acting on muscarinic-2 and muscarinic-4 heteroreceptors.

CB1 negatively modulates the release of GABA and glutamate, playing a crucial role in maintaining a homeostasis between excitatory and inhibitory transmission.

Glutamate released from an excitatory neuron escapes from the synaptic cleft and preferentially affects mGluR III receptors on the presynaptic terminals of interneurons. Glutamate spillover leads to inhibition of GABA release, modulating GABAergic transmission.

References

Heteroreceptor Wikipedia

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