Category: receptor_pharmacology
5-HT family receptors (all GPCR except 5-HT3 which is a ligand-gated cation channel) drive mood, sleep, appetite, vasoconstriction, GI motility, and emesis. SERT (serotonin transporter) clears synaptic 5-HT and is the primary target of SSRIs / SNRIs / TCAs. 5-HT1A — somatodendritic autoreceptor + postsynaptic anxiolysis target (buspirone partial agonist; aripiprazole partial agonist). 5-HT1B/1D — vascular vasoconstriction (triptan target for migraine). 5-HT2A — cortical pyramidal-cell depolarization (psychedelic target; atypical-antipsychotic inverse-agonist target). 5-HT2C — appetite + mood. 5-HT3 — area-postrema emesis (setron target for chemo emesis). 5-HT4 — gut motility + cognition. 5-HT7 — circadian + mood. Vortioxetine is a multimodal SERT inhibitor + 5-HT1A agonist + 5-HT3/7 antagonist (single-molecule receptor cocktail). MDMA is a SERT releaser. Psychedelics (psilocybin / LSD / DMT) are 5-HT2A agonists.