HTR2A (5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A)
Gene description The mammalian 5-HT2A receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT2 receptor that belongs to the serotonin receptor family and is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR).[5] 5-HT is short for 5-hydroxy-tryptamine, which is serotonin. This is the main excitatory receptor subtype among the GPCRs for serotonin, although 5-HT2A may also have an inhibitory effect[6] on certain areas such as the visual cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex.[7]This receptor was first noted for its importance as a target of serotonergic psychedelic drugs such as LSD. Later it came back to prominence because it was also found to be mediating, at least partly, the action of many antipsychotic drugs, especially the atypical ones. 5-HT2A may be a necessary receptor for the spread of the human polyoma virus called the JC virus.[8] Downregulation of post-synaptic 5-HT2A receptor is an adaptive process provoked by chronic administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and classical antipsychotics. Suicidal and otherwise depressed patients have had more 5-HT2A receptors than normal patients. These findings suggest that post-synaptic 5-HT2A overdensity is involved in the pathogenesis of depression.[9] A haplotype consisting of 4 SNPs in the HTR2A gene has been associated with risk for rheumatoid arthritis [PMID 18006541]; the 4 SNPs being: A SNP in the HTR2A gene, rs7997012 and another gene (GRIK4) may also influence the odds of success upon treatment with the antidepressant citalopram, potentially differently in patients of different ethnic backgrounds.[PMID 17671280]
Recommended name: 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A Short name: 5-HT-2 Alternative name(s): 5-HT-2A Serotonin receptor 2A Gene function In microbial infections acts as a receptor for human JC polyomavirus/JCPyV.. Disease association Advanced information The following transcription factors affect gene expression (R): Tissue specificity: Detected in brain cortex (at protein level). Detected in blood platelets. Gene Pathways: Molecular Function: Biological Processes:
Disease
Bipolar disorder
Schizophrenia
Hyperalgesia
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Fever
Basal Ganglia Diseases
Obesity
Hyperglycemia
Pancreatitis
Heart failure
Panic disorder
Hyperphagia
Unipolar depression
Diabetic nephropathy
Anorexia nervosa
Metabolic Diseases
Anoxia
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder