Antidepressant drug blocking dopamine transporter protein

Molecular model from X-ray diffraction data (PDB ID: 4m48) of a dopamine transporter. Dopamine transporters remove the neurotransmitter dopamine from the gap (synapse) between adjacent neurones. Depicted here is a dopamine transporter (light blue and green helical structure) sitting in the cell membrane (dark blue and red lipid bilayer). The antidepressant drug nortriptyline (yellow) sits in the dopamine transporter blocking its action. As dopamine transporters are critical for communication between neurones, they are frequently the target of drugs that affect thought and mood. Drugs of abuse such as cocaine also block the action of these transporters. Width of image is approximately 9 nm.