Serotonin transporter (SERT), a member of Na + /Cl --dependent transporter family, is predicted to be a protein with a twelve membrane-spanning structure, which terminates the serotonergic neural transmission by re-uptaking serotonin into pre-synapse. It has been well-known that SERT is a target of antidepressants and abusive drugs. Although the pathogenesis of depression and mechanism underlying antidepressants action remains unclear, recent accumulated evidences have revealed that

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... nts promote the regeneration of neurons, which was damaged by repeated stress and recurrences of depression. In addition, analysis of crystal structure of bacterial leucine transporter, a homologue of mammalian Na + /Cl --dependent neurotransmitter transporter, provides us a new information concerning the interactions of tricyclic antidepressants with serotonin transporter.