Abstract
Glutamate-gated ion channels participate in excitatory synaptic transmission in the nervous system as well as nonsynaptic communication between cells. The glutamate-gated ion channel family includes 18 gene products that form tetrameric transmembrane protein complexes. Glutamate-gated receptors are composed of multiple semiautonomous domains that share structural features with periplasmic amino acid-binding proteins and potassium channels. Each glutamate receptor contains both ligand recognition sites and an ion-permeable channel that spans the membrane. Specific components of the protein complex couple the conformational changes that result from agonist binding into opening of the permeation pore.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Comprehensive Biophysics |
Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
Pages | 4-30 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Volume | 6 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780080957180 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- AMPA
- Excitatory neurotransmitter
- Glutamate
- Ionotropic glutamate receptor
- Kainate
- Ligand-gated ion channel
- NMDA
- Synaptic plasticity
- Synaptic transmission