THE 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE(6) RECEPTOR - LOCALIZATION AND FUNCTION

The application of molecular biological techniques has revealed the ex istence of gene products encoding several novel putative receptors for the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). For most of these no vel receptors, no prior pharmacological or functional data existed, an d the present challenges to pharmacologists are to identify tools to s tudy these gene products, to determine. Whether or not they function a s endogenous receptors and to determine potential therapeutic uses of ligands for these receptors. Here, we review work detailing the clonin g and characterisation of the 5-HT6 receptor, its distribution and evi dence for functional responses mediated by naturally-occurring 5-HT6 r eceptors.