|Articles|April 16, 2008
- Psychiatric Times Vol 25 No 5
- Volume 25
- Issue 5
The Vesicular Monoamine Transporter
Author(s)Karley Y. Little, MD, Anish V. Sharda, MD, MPH
The vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) is a membrane-embedded protein that transports monoamine neurotransmitter molecules into intraneuronal storage vesicles to allow subsequent release into the synapse.1,2 By accumulating both newly synthesized neurotransmitter molecules and freshly returned neurotransmitter molecules from the synapse, VMAT function plays a critical role in the signaling process between monoamine neurons. The VMAT exists in 2 distinct forms: VMAT1 and VMAT2.3
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