Vesicular Monoamine Transporter

Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways. However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...

In this video, we demonstrate an assay that investigates monoamine release mechanisms from the neurons of metabolically active ex vivo rat brain slices, when treated with test drugs. The assay demonstrates that neurostimulant drugs induce monoamine release via the cellular monoamine transporters, whereas high KCl concentration induces synaptic vesicle exocytosis-mediated vesicular monoamine release.

After budding out from the ER membrane, some COPII vesicles lose their coat and fuse with one another to form larger vesicles and interconnected tubules called vesicular tubular clusters or VTCs. These clusters constitute a compartment at the ER-Golgi interface known as ERGIC (Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment). The ERGIC is a mobile membrane-bound cargo transport system that sorts proteins secreted from ER and delivers them to the Golgi. With the help of motor proteins such...

Vesicular transport is a cellular process that encompasses the engulfment of particles or dissolved substances by cells. It involves endocytosis, transcytosis, and exocytosis. Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism that involves the inward folding of the cell membrane to create vesicles that capture and transport large drug molecules. This process comprises two distinct methods: pinocytosis (often referred to as "cell drinking") and phagocytosis (often referred to as "cell eating"). Pinocytosis is...

All animal procedures described here must be conducted in accordance with institutional animal ethics guidelines and approved by IACUC. All procedures must follow the principles of the 3Rs—Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement—and must be performed by trained personnel. Transporting rodents for research requires procedures that minimize stress and maintain animal welfare during movement to minimize the influence on experimental outcomes. Transport cages should provide adequate ventilation,...