Heteroreceptor

A heteroreceptor is a receptor regulating the synthesis and/or the release of mediators other than its own ligand.

Heteroreceptors are presynaptic receptors that respond to neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones released from adjacent neurons or cells; they are opposite to autoreceptors, which are sensitive only to neurotransmitters or hormones released by the cell in whose wall they are embedded.

Examples

• Norepinephrine can influence the release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic neurons by acting on α2 adrenergic (α_2A, α_2B, and α_2C) heteroreceptors.
• Acetylcholine can influence the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic neurons by acting on muscarinic-2 and muscarinic-4 heteroreceptors.
• CB1 negatively modulates the release of GABA and glutamate, playing a crucial role in maintaining a homeostasis between excitatory and inhibitory transmission.

See also

• Autoreceptor