biostudies-literatureStove SINorges ForskningsrådFundació la Marató de TV31283https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9684503biostudies-literatureUnknown5(1)Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is responsible for packing monoamine neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles for storage and subsequent neurotransmission. VMAT2 inhibitors are approved for symptomatic treatment of tardive dyskinesia and Huntington's chorea, but despite being much-studied inhibitors their exact binding site and mechanism behind binding and inhibition of monoamine transport are not known. Here we report the identification of several approved drugs, notably β2-adrenergic agonists salmeterol, vilanterol and formoterol, β2-adrenergic antagonist carvedilol and the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone as inhibitors of rat VMAT2. Further, plausible binding modes of the established VMAT2 inhibitors reserpine and tetrabenazine and hit compounds salmeterol and ziprasidone weCommunications biologyInhibition of VMAT2 by β2-adrenergic agonists, antagonists, and the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone.PMC9684503245922/F50261826/F20288164202012-31Stove SIMartinez ASkjevik AATeigen KfalseInhibition of VMAT2 by β2-adrenergic agonists, antagonists, and the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone.Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is responsible for packing monoamine neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles for storage and subsequent neurotransmission. VMAT2 inhibitors are approved for symptomatic treatment of tardive dyskinesia and Huntington's chorea, but despite being much-studied inhibitors their exact binding site and mechanism behind binding and inhibition of monoamine transport are not known. Here we report the identification of several approved drugs, notably β2-adrenergic agonists salmeterol, vilanterol and formoterol, β2-adrenergic antagonist carvedilol and the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone as inhibitors of rat VMAT2. Further, plausible binding modes of the established VMAT2 inhibitors reserpine and tetrabenazine and hit compounds salmeterol and ziprasidone we2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Nov2025-04-04T13:46:22.125Z2025-04-04T13:46:22.125ZS-EPMC96845033641849210.1038/s42003-022-04121-1