5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 2A (HTR2A)

The mammalian receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT₂ receptor that belongs to the serotonin receptor family and is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). This is the main excitatory receptor subtype among the GPCRs for serotonin (5-HT), although 5-HT_2A may also have an inhibitory effect on certain areas such as the visual cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex. This receptor was given importance first as the target of psychedelic drugs like LSD. Later it came back to prominence because it was also found to be mediating, at least partly, the action of many antipsychotic drugs, especially the atypical ones. 5-HT_2A also happens to be a necessary receptor for the spread of the human polyoma virus called JC virus. HTR2 gene consists of 3 exons separated by 2 introns and spans over 20 kb.