5-Methoxytryptamine also known as mexamine, is a tryptamine

Tryptamine

Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It is based around the indole ring structure, and is chemically related to the amino acid tryptophan, from which its name is derived...

 derivative closely related to the neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...

s serotonin

Serotonin

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...

 and melatonin

Melatonin

Melatonin , also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes...

. 5-MT has been shown to occur naturally in the body in low levels. It is biosynthesized via the deacetylation of melatonin in the pineal gland

Pineal gland

The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate brain. It produces the serotonin derivative melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions...

.

5-MT acts as a full agonist at the 5-HT₁, 5-HT₂, 5-HT₄, 5-HT₆, and 5-HT₇ receptors. It has no affinity for the 5-HT₃ receptor and it should also be noted that its affinity for the 5-HT_1E receptor is very weak in comparison to the other 5-HT₁ receptors. Its affinity for the 5-HT_5A receptor is unknown.

See also

• 2-Methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine
  2-Methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine
  2-Methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine is a tryptamine derivative closely related to the neurotransmitter serotonin which acts as a moderately selective full agonist at the 5-HT3 receptor.- See also :...
  
  
• 5-Benzyloxytryptamine
  5-Benzyloxytryptamine
  5-Benzyloxytryptamine , is a tryptamine derivative which acts as an agonist at the 5-HT1D, 5-HT2 and 5-HT6 serotonin receptors.- See also :* 5-Carboxamidotryptamine* 5-Methoxytryptamine* BW-723C86* Sumatriptan- References :...
  
  
• 5-Carboxamidotryptamine
  5-Carboxamidotryptamine
  5-Carboxamidotryptamine is a tryptamine derivative closely related to the neurotransmitter serotonin.5-CT acts as a non-selective, high-affinity full agonist at the 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, 5-HT5A, and 5-HT7 receptors, as well as at the 5-HT2, 5-HT3, 5-HT6 receptors with lower affinity. It has...
  
  
• α-Methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine