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Greengard is cited for studies on norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin that revealed the cascade of reactions evoked when such neurotransmitters transmit their signals at the synapse. He showed, for example, that when dopamine binds to its receptor, the intracellular concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the postsynaptic neuron increases. Subsequently, cAMP activates protein kinases that phosphorylate target proteins, which proceed through one or more steps to elicit the intended physiological response. Greengard and his group also have identified a large number of phosphorylated proteins that occur only in the brain, some in all types of nerve cells and others in one or two types only. Such differences among nerve cells could lead to highly specific drugs for treating various disorders |
| AUTHOR | Paul Greengard, 74, head of the Laboratory of Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience at Rockefeller University, New York City |
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