Serotonin-Sensitive Adenylate Cyclase in Neural Tissue and Its Similarity to the Serotonin Receptor: A Possible Site of Action of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences March 1, 1974 James A. Nathanson, Paul Greengard 95 citations
An enzyme called adenylate cyclase, found in the thoracic ganglia of an insect nervous system, is specifically activated by low concentrations of serotonin. This activation is selectively blocked by very low concentrations of D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 2-bromo-LSD, and cyproheptadine, substances known to block certain serotonin receptors in living organisms. The inhibition is competitive with respect to serotonin, and the inhibitory constant of LSD for this serotonin-sensitive adenylate cyclase is 5 nM. These findings suggest that the serotonin receptor in neural tissue is closely linked to this enzyme, which may mediate serotonergic neurotransmission, and that some physiological effects of LSD might occur through interaction with this enzyme.