Heteroreceptor

A heteroreceptor is a receptor regulating the synthesis and/or the release of mediators other than its own ligand. A heteroreceptor is a receptor regulating the synthesis and/or the release of mediators other than its own ligand. Heteroreceptors respond to neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones released from adjacent neurons or cells; they are opposite to autoreceptors, which are sensitive only to neurotransmitters or hormones released by the cell in whose wall they are embedded.