Monoamine Transporter - Research History

Research History

The field of monoamine transporter research began roughly five decades ago with Julius Axelrod’s research on NETs. Axelrod eventually received his Nobel Prize for this research, which led to the discovery of DATs and SERTs as well as consequences associated with antidepressant and psychostimulant interactions with MAT proteins. Since Axelrod’s initial studies, understanding the pharmacological and functional properties of MAT proteins have been essential in the discovery of therapeutic treatment of many mental disorders. During the 1990s various cloning techniques using MATs have elucidated the genetic structure of these proteins. In 1991 Susan Amara and her colleagues determined the amino acid sequence of NET, discovering its relatively high coding similarities to that of the GABA transporter.

Current research is underway to understand how MATs function and are regulated by looking at newly discovered structural and functional domains of these proteins. Over the last decade, the availability of targeted disruption of monoamine transporter genes in animal models as well as in vivo imaging approaches have shown progress in studies associated with psychiatric and movement disorders. Ongoing research is attempting to clarify the extent to which kinase cascades, transporter interacting proteins, and phosphorylation contribute to MAT regulation.