The roles of serotonin in cell adhesion and migration, and cytoskeletal remodeling

Abstract

Serotonin is well known as a neurotransmitter. Its roles in neuronal processes such as learning, memory or cognition are well established, and also in disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia. However, its effects on adhesion and cytoskeletal remodelling which are strongly affected by 5-HT receptors, are not as well studied with some exceptions for e.g. platelet aggregation. Neuronal function is strongly dependent on cell-cell contacts and adhesion-related processes. Therefore the role played by serotonin in psychiatric illness, as well as in the positive and negative effects of neuropsychiatric drugs through cell-related adhesion can be of great significance. In this review, we explore the role of serotonin in some of these aspects based on recent findings.

Keywords: Serotonin; antidepressants; antipsychotics; cell adhesion and migration; covid-19; cytoskeletal remodeling; development; homeostasis; immune cells; neuronal cells; platelet aggregation.

Figure 1.

Classification and characteristics of serotonin receptors

Figure 2.

The schematic representation of the adhesion-related effects mediated by the serotonergic system. The link between the serotonergic system and adhesion-related processes can be depicted as follows. (1) Physiological roles: The adhesion-related processes (yellow) – platelets, vascular smooth muscle cells, immune cells, wound healing, neuronal cells, in development, etc., could be modulated by serotonergic system as its physiological role (blue). (2) Pathological roles: An aberrant serotonergic system for e.g. abnormal levels of expression of serotonin, serotonin receptors or transporter, etc., (purple) could also affect the adhesion-related processes, and such abnormal adhesion-related processes could cause the disease progression of neuropsychiatric disorders (orange). (3) Mode of action of drugs: The neuropsychiatric drugs targeting the aberrant serotonergic system could evoke its desired response of mitigating neuropsychiatric symptoms by modulating the adhesion-related processes (green). (4) Adverse effects of drugs: The neuropsychiatric drugs can also act nonspecifically on other components of serotonergic system and result in off-target adverse effects (brown)