Serotonin: More than A Neurotransmitter
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Factors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2020) | Viewed by 383
Special Issue Editors
Interests: gene-environment interactions; maternal infections and mental disorders; behavioural neuroscience; serotonin and development; heart rate variability; biomarkers of mental disorders; transdiagnostic psychiatry; ultrasonic vocalizations
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Serotonin has been known since the 1940s as a vasoconstrictor in blood serum, and only a few years ago, it was found to also be present in the brain and peripheral nervous system. Since then, its role as a neurotransmitter has been extensively investigated. It is now well established that 5-HT plays a crucial role in the regulation of emotion, cognition, and reward. More recently, it has become clear that serotonin has many additional functions, particularly in regulating neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. Thus, serotonin has been shown to be involved in neurogenesis, axon guidance, dendrite formation, and outgrowth, as well as postsynaptic spine formation. Exactly how serotonin affects these processes, however, is far from understood. The fact that serotonin can interact with at least 14 different receptors has added to the complexity of its function.
This Special Issue of Biomolecules is dedicated to studies aimed at elucidating the role of serotonin in the structural and functional plasticity of the brain. The main goal is to highlight recent findings in the molecular, cellular, and behavioural neuroscience of serotonin as a neurodevelopmental regulator. This is particularly relevant given that genetic variations in the serotonin system have repeatedly been implicated in the aetiology of psychiatric disorders as diverse as drug addiction, depression, and autism. We hope that the studies published here will help to shed new light on the role of serotonin in neurodevelopment and, by extension, in the aetiology of these psychiatric disorders.
Prof. Dr. Bart A. Ellenbroek
Dr. Darren Day
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- neurodevelopment
- synaptic plasticity
- dendritic spines
- serotonin receptors
- autism spectrum disorder
- major depressive disorders
