Annu Rev Med
2009[]; 60
(?): 355-66
PMID19630576
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Serotonin is perhaps best known as a neurotransmitter that modulates neural
activity and a wide range of neuropsychological processes, and drugs that target
serotonin receptors are used widely in psychiatry and neurology. However, most
serotonin is found outside the central nervous system, and virtually all of the
15 serotonin receptors are expressed outside as well as within the brain.
Serotonin regulates numerous biological processes including cardiovascular
function, bowel motility, ejaculatory latency, and bladder control. Additionally,
new work suggests that serotonin may regulate some processes, including platelet
aggregation, by receptor-independent, transglutaminase-dependent covalent linkage
to cellular proteins. We review this new "expanded serotonin biology" and discuss
how drugs targeting specific serotonin receptors are beginning to help treat a
wide range of diseases.