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Heterodimeric adenosine receptors: a device to regulate neurotransmitter release

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Abstract.

Since 1990 it has been known that dimers are the basic functional form of nearly all G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and that homo- and heterodimerization may play a key role in correct receptor maturation and trafficking to the plasma membrane. Nevertheless, homo- and heterodimerization of GPCR has become a matter of debate especially in the search for the precise physiological meaning of this phenomenon. This article focuses on how heterodimerization of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors, which are coupled to apparently opposite signalling pathways, allows adenosine to exert a fine-tuning modulation of striatal glutamatergic neurotransmission, providing a switch mechanism by which low and high concentrations of adenosine inhibit and stimulate, respectively, glutamate release.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Avda Diagonal, 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    F. Ciruela, V. Casadó, A. Cortés, C. Lluis & R. Franco

  2. Department of Health and Human Services, Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, USA

    S. Ferré

  3. Centre for Neuroscience of Coimbra, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal

    R. A. Cunha

Authors
  1. F. Ciruela
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  2. S. Ferré
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  3. V. Casadó
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  4. A. Cortés
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  5. R. A. Cunha
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  6. C. Lluis
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  7. R. Franco
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Ciruela.

Additional information

Received 8 May 2006; received after revision 19 June 2006; accepted 17 July 2006

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Ciruela, F., Ferré, S., Casadó, V. et al. Heterodimeric adenosine receptors: a device to regulate neurotransmitter release. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 63, 2427–2431 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-006-6216-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-006-6216-2

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