VMAT2

protein
Name = solute carrier family 18 (vesicular monoamine), member 2
caption =


width =
HGNCid = 10935
Symbol = SLC18A2
AltSymbols = VMAT2
EntrezGene = 6571
OMIM = 193001
RefSeq = NM_003054
UniProt = Q05940
PDB =
ECnumber =
Chromosome = 10
Arm = q
Band = 25
LocusSupplementaryData = The Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 or VMAT2 is an integral membrane protein that acts to transport monoamines—particularly neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine,serotonin, and histamine—from cellular cytosol into synaptic vesicles.

Binding sites and ligands

One binding site is that of DTBZ. Lobeline binds at this site. At a distinct site dextroamphetamine binds. Its activity at VMAT2 is a crucial part of its monoamine releasing action.

Impairment and dysfunction

Cocaine users display a marked reduction in VMAT2 immunoreactivity. Sufferers of cocaine-induced mood disorders displayed a significant loss of VMAT2 immunoreactivity, this might reflect damage to striatal dopamine fibers. These neuronal changes could play a role in causing disordered mood and motivational processes in more severely addicted users.cite journal
last=Little
first=Karley Y.
coauthors=David M. Krolewski, Lian Zhang, Bader J. Cassin
date=2003-01-01
title=Loss of striatal vesicular monoamine transporter protein (VMAT2) in human cocaine users
journal=American journal of psychiatry
volume=160
pages=pp. 47–55
id=10.1176/appi.ajp.160.1.47
url=http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/160/1/47
doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.160.1.47]

"God gene"

Geneticist Dean Hamer identified the VMAT2 gene as correlating with spirituality using data from a smoking survey, which included questions intended to measure "self-transcendence". Hamer performed the spirituality study on the side, independently of the National Cancer Institute smoking study. His findings were published in the mass-market book "The God Gene: How Faith Is Hard-Wired Into Our Genes".cite web
url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/11/14/ngod14.xml
title='God gene' discovered by scientist behind gay DNA theory
accessdate=2007-04-08
last=Day
first=Elizabeth
date=2004-11-15
work=Telegraph
publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited
pages=] cite web
url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,995465,00.html
title=Is God in our genes?
accessdate=2007-04-08
last=Kluger
first=Jeffrey
coauthors=Jeff Chu, Broward Liston, Maggie Sieger, Daniel Williams
date=2004-10-25
work=TIME
publisher=Time Inc.
pages=] According to Carl Zimmer, Hamer's study has not been academically published and depends on a minor statistical variance. [cite journal | quotes = no | last = Zimmer | first = Carl | authorlink = Carl Zimmer | month = October | year = 2004 | title = Faith-Boosting Genes: A search for the genetic basis of spirituality | journal = Scientific American | url = http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000AD4E7-6290-1150-902F83414B7F4945 ]

ee also

*God gene
*Neurotheology

References

External links

*MeshName|Vesicular+Monoamine+Transporter+2