Alternative titles; symbols
HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: SLC18A1
Cytogenetic location: 8p21.3 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 8:20,144,855-20,183,136 (from NCBI)
The vesicular monoamine transporter acts to accumulate cytosolic monoamines into vesicles, using the proton gradient maintained across the vesicular membrane. Its proper function is essential to the correct activity of the monoaminergic systems that have been implicated in several human neuropsychiatric disorders. The transporter is a site of action of important drugs, including reserpine and tetrabenazine (Peter et al., 1993).
See also SLC18A2 (193001).
Liu et al. (1992) isolated a cDNA encoding a vesicular monoamine transporter in rat adrenal gland, which they termed chromaffin granule amine transporter (CGAT). Erickson et al. (1996) cloned the human SLC18A1 gene from a pheochromocytoma cDNA library.
Using in situ hybridization, Peter et al. (1993) mapped the SLC18A1 gene to chromosome 8p21.3.
Roghani et al. (1996) showed that the mouse Slc18a1 gene maps to mouse chromosome 8 by linkage analysis.
Chang et al. (2006) used the Drosophila isoform of vesicular monoamine transporter (DVMAT-A), which is structurally similar to mammalian vesicular monoamine transporter homologs, to investigate how increasing the vesicular release of dopamine and serotonin may affect Drosophila behavior. They found that DVMAT-A was expressed in both dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in the adult Drosophila brain. Overexpression of DVMAT-A potentiated stereotypic grooming behaviors and locomotion and was reversible with reserpine, which blocks DVMAT activity, and haloperidol, a dopamine receptor antagonist. They also observed prolongation of courtship behavior, decreased success in mating, and decreased fertility, suggesting a role for aminergic circuits in the modulation of sexual behaviors. Chang et al. (2006) also observed decreased sensitivity to cocaine, suggesting that the synaptic machinery responsible for cocaine-induced behavior was downregulated in the overexpression model.
Chang, H.-Y., Grygoruk, A., Brooks, E. S., Ackerson, L. C., Maidment, N. T., Bainton, R. J., Krantz, D. E. Overexpression of the Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter increases motor activity and courtship but decreases the behavioral response to cocaine. Molec. Psychiat. 11: 99-113, 2006. [PubMed: 16189511] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001742]
Erickson, J. D., Schafer, M. K., Bonner, T. I., Eiden, L. E., Weihe, E. Distinct pharmacological properties and distribution in neurons and endocrine cells of two isoforms of the human vesicular monoamine transporter. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 93: 5166-5171, 1996. [PubMed: 8643547] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.10.5166]
Liu, Y., Peter, D., Roghani, A., Schuldiner, S., Prive, G. G., Eisenberg, D., Brecha, N., Edwards, R. H. A cDNA that suppresses MPP+ toxicity encodes a vesicular amine transporter. Cell 70: 539-551, 1992. [PubMed: 1505023] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-8674(92)90425-c]
Peter, D., Finn, J. P., Klisak, I., Liu, Y., Kojis, T., Heinzmann, C., Roghani, A., Sparkes, R. S., Edwards, R. H. Chromosomal localization of the human vesicular amine transporter genes. Genomics 18: 720-723, 1993. [PubMed: 7905859] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0888-7543(05)80383-0]
Roghani, A., Welch, C., Xia, Y.-R., Liu, Y., Peter, D., Finn, J. P., Edwards, R. H., Lusis, A. J. Assignment of the mouse vesicular monoamine transporter genes, Slc18a1 and Slc18a2, to chromosomes 8 and 19 by linkage analysis. Mammalian Genome 7: 393-394, 1996. [PubMed: 8661734] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003359900114]