5-HT2A receptors mediate excitatory serotonergic signaling and are major targets of psychedelic drugs.
| Property |
Value |
| Category |
Serotonin Receptor Neurons |
| Location |
Cortex, Thalamus, Platelets |
| Receptor Type |
5-HT2A |
| Signaling |
Gq-coupled, excitatory |
- Family: 5-HT2 (Gq-coupled)
- Structure: 7TM, glycosylated
- Dimerization: Functional significance
- Cortex: Layer 5 pyramidal neurons
- Thalamus: Sensory relay nuclei
- Platelets: Peripheral expression
- PLC activation: Phospholipase C
- IP3/DAG: Second messengers
- Calcium: Intracellular release
- PKC activation: Protein kinase C
- MAPK cascade: Gene expression
- Transcription: CREB activation
- Psychedelics: 5-HT2A activation
- Hallucinations: Altered perception
- Visual processing: Thalamic effects
- Working memory: 5-HT2A modulation
- Learning: Synaptic plasticity
- Executive function: Prefrontal cortex
- 5-HT2A antagonists: Atypical antipsychotics
- Psychosis: 5-HT2A dysregulation
- Therapeutic: 5-HT2A targeting
- 5-HT2A antagonists: Some antidepressants
- Sleep: REM modulation
- Treatment: 5-HT2A modulation
- Nichols. 5-HT2A receptors (2004)
- Aghajanian. 5-HT2A in psychosis (2009)