Neuronal Receptors
Neuronal Receptors - Related Videos
12:47
Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates
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Cited by 8 •
2014
Here we describe an adaptation of protocols used to induce homeostatic plasticity in neurons for the study of plasticity of astrocytic G protein-coupled receptors. Recently used to examine changes in astrocytic group I mGluRs in juvenile mice, the method can be applied to measure scaling of various astrocytic GPCRs, in tissue from adult mice in situ and in vivo, and to gain a better appreciation of the sensitivity of astrocytic receptors to changes in neuronal activity.
05:21
Whole Mount Immunolabeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in the Drosophila Antenna
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Cited by 7 •
2014
Herein we describe the process of whole mount immunostaining of Drosophila antennae, which enables us to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the diversification of olfactory receptor neurons (ORN)s.
02:07
Stimulation of Dorsal Root Ganglion Sensory Neurons Using a Neuropeptide Receptor Agonist
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2025
This video demonstrates the use of transfected dorsal root ganglion cells to study neurotransmitter release by stimulating them with a neuropeptide receptor agonist.
05:27
An In Vitro Technique to Study Glutamate Receptor Trafficking in Hippocampal Neurons
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2025
This video demonstrates an antibody-feeding approach to study the trafficking of glutamate receptors in primary hippocampal neuronal cultures. This approach allows the observation of receptor populations at both the plasma and internal membranes. Discrimination between these subsets is achieved by labeling the receptors before and after membrane permeabilization, using the same primary antibody but secondary antibodies conjugated to different fluorophores.
08:08
Odorant-induced Responses Recorded from Olfactory Receptor Neurons using the Suction Pipette Technique
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Cited by 13 •
2012
Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) convert odor signals first into a receptor current that in turn triggers action potentials that are conveyed to second order neurons in the olfactory bulb. Here we describe the suction pipette technique to record simultaneously the odorant-induced receptor current and action potentials from mouse ORNs.
FAQs
Ionotropic receptors alter neuronal activity through a direct change in an associated ion channel, whereas metabotropic receptors act through intracellular signaling cascades. This distinction gives pharmacological studies two different levels of analysis: channel regulation for ionotropic responses and downstream signaling for metabotropic responses. Comparing these mechanisms helps explain how receptor-targeting compounds modify synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability.
These four properties shape where a compound can act, how strongly it binds, and which cellular response follows activation or inhibition. Receptor distribution influences the affected neuronal populations, while subtype and signaling differences can produce distinct effects from related targets. Considering all four factors helps pharmacologists interpret therapeutic actions and adverse drug responses more accurately.
Agonists, antagonists, and allosteric modulators are evaluated according to how they influence receptor-mediated signaling, synaptic transmission, and neuronal excitability. Their effects depend on the receptor subtype involved, its cellular distribution, binding affinity, and signaling pathway. Consequently, the same broad drug category may have different functional outcomes when it acts at different neuronal receptor systems.
A useful evaluation begins by characterizing the receptor subtype and its distribution in neurons or associated cells. Researchers then examine ligand affinity and determine whether receptor engagement changes ion-channel activity or intracellular signaling. Measuring resulting effects on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability connects molecular receptor behavior with pharmacological outcomes and supports assessment of potential treatments.
Neuronal receptors are investigated when researchers seek to alter abnormal or clinically important neuronal signaling. The overview identifies pain, anxiety, epilepsy, addiction, and neurodegenerative disease as relevant areas. Receptor studies can guide the development and evaluation of compounds intended to influence synaptic transmission or neuronal excitability while also clarifying why treatment effects differ among targets.
Receptor studies link a drug's observed effects to target characteristics such as subtype, distribution, affinity, and signaling. A compound may influence synaptic transmission or neuronal excitability differently depending on which receptor populations it engages and how those receptors signal inside cells. This framework helps pharmacologists relate desired treatment outcomes to unwanted responses during drug evaluation.