Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Emerging structural insights into the function of ionotropic glutamate receptors

Journal Article · · Trends in Biochemical Sciences
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor, NY (United States)
Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission crucial for brain development and function, including learning and memory formation. Recently a wealth of structural studies on iGluRs including AMPA receptors (AMPARs), kainate receptors, and NMDA receptors (NMDARs) became available. These studies showed structures of non-NMDARs including AMPAR and kainate receptor in various functional states, thereby providing the first visual sense of how non-NMDAR iGluRs may function in the context of homotetramers. Furthermore, they provided the first view of heterotetrameric NMDAR ion channels, and this illuminated the similarities with and differences from non-NMDARs, thus raising a mechanistic distinction between the two groups of iGluRs. We review mechanistic insights into iGluR functions gained through structural studies of multiple groups.
Research Organization:
Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE
OSTI ID:
1352280
Journal Information:
Trends in Biochemical Sciences, Journal Name: Trends in Biochemical Sciences Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 40; ISSN 0968-0004
Publisher:
Cell PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH

References (78)

Mechanisms for Activation and Antagonism of an AMPA-Sensitive Glutamate Receptor journal October 2000
An NMDA Receptor Gating Mechanism Developed from MD Simulations Reveals Molecular Details Underlying Subunit-Specific Contributions journal May 2013
Measurement of Conformational Changes accompanying Desensitization in an Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor journal October 2006
Structure and Dynamics of AMPA Receptor GluA2 in Resting, Pre-Open, and Desensitized States journal August 2014
A Novel Conus Snail Polypeptide Causes Excitotoxicity by Blocking Desensitization of AMPA Receptors journal June 2009
The Three-dimensional Structure of an Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor Reveals a Dimer-of-dimers Assembly journal November 2004
Crystal Structure of the GluR2 Amino-Terminal Domain Provides Insights into the Architecture and Assembly of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors journal October 2009
Crystal Structures of the Glutamate Receptor Ion Channel GluK3 and GluK5 Amino-Terminal Domains journal December 2010
Automatic cryo-EM particle selection for membrane proteins in spherical liposomes journal March 2014
Crystal Structures of the GluR5 and GluR6 Ligand Binding Cores: Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Kainate Receptor Selectivity journal February 2005
Structure and Assembly Mechanism for Heteromeric Kainate Receptors journal July 2011
Coupled Control of Desensitization and Gating by the Ligand Binding Domain of Glutamate Receptors journal June 2012
Structural Insights into Competitive Antagonism in NMDA Receptors journal January 2014
Conformational Analysis of NMDA Receptor GluN1, GluN2, and GluN3 Ligand-Binding Domains Reveals Subtype-Specific Characteristics journal October 2013
First Images of a Glutamate Receptor Ion Channel:  Oligomeric State and Molecular Dimensions of GluRB Homomers journal October 2001
Structural Mobility of the Extracellular Ligand-Binding Core of an Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor. Analysis of NMR Relaxation Dynamics journal July 2002
Structure of a glutamate-receptor ligand-binding core in complex with kainate journal October 1998
Glycine potentiates the NMDA response in cultured mouse brain neurons journal February 1987
Cloning by functional expression of a member of the glutamate receptor family journal December 1989
Cloning of a putative high-affinity kainate receptor expressed predominantly in hippocampal CA3 cells journal June 1991
Molecular cloning and characterization of the rat NMDA receptor journal November 1991
Structure of simian virus 40 at 3.8-Å resolution journal November 1991
Mechanism of glutamate receptor desensitization journal May 2002
Crystal structure and association behaviour of the GluR2 amino-terminal domain journal May 2009
Structure of the zinc-bound amino-terminal domain of the NMDA receptor NR2B subunit journal November 2009
Dynamics and allosteric potential of the AMPA receptor N-terminal domain: Novel AMPA receptor allosteric potential journal February 2011
Molecular basis of positive allosteric modulation of GluN2B NMDA receptors by polyamines journal June 2011
Reaction mechanism determines NMDA receptor response to repetitive stimulation journal August 2004
Structure and different conformational states of native AMPA receptor complexes journal February 2005
Subunit arrangement and function in NMDA receptors journal November 2005
Mechanism of differential control of NMDA receptor activity by NR2 subunits journal April 2009
Structure of the BK potassium channel in a lipid membrane from electron cryomicroscopy journal August 2009
X-ray structure, symmetry and mechanism of an AMPA-subtype glutamate receptor journal November 2009
Subunit arrangement and phenylethanolamine binding in GluN1/GluN2B NMDA receptors journal June 2011
The crystal structure of a voltage-gated sodium channel journal July 2011
Open structure of the Ca2+ gating ring in the high-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel journal December 2011
X-ray structure of the mammalian GIRK2–βγ G-protein complex journal June 2013
NMDA receptor structures reveal subunit arrangement and pore architecture journal June 2014
Structural mechanism of glutamate receptor activation and desensitization journal August 2014
Structural landscape of isolated agonist-binding domains from single AMPA receptors journal February 2011
Ligand-specific deactivation time course of GluN1/GluN2D NMDA receptors journal April 2011
A single GluN2 subunit residue controls NMDA receptor channel properties via intersubunit interaction journal January 2012
Mechanical coupling maintains the fidelity of NMDA receptor–mediated currents journal May 2014
Crystallizing membrane proteins using lipidic mesophases journal April 2009
The N-terminal domain of GluR6-subtype glutamate receptor ion channels journal May 2009
The hidden energetics of ligand binding and activation in a glutamate receptor journal February 2011
Allosteric signaling and dynamics of the clamshell-like NMDA receptor GluN1 N-terminal domain journal March 2013
Defining the structural relationship between kainate-receptor deactivation and desensitization journal August 2013
Crystal structure of the glutamate receptor GluA1 N-terminal domain journal August 2011
Glutamate receptor desensitization is mediated by changes in quaternary structure of the ligand binding domain journal March 2013
Effect of Src Kinase Phosphorylation on Disordered C-terminal Domain of N-Methyl-d-aspartic Acid (NMDA) Receptor Subunit GluN2B Protein journal August 2011
Amino-terminal Domain Tetramer Organization and Structural Effects of Zinc Binding in the N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor journal August 2013
The N-terminal Domain Modulates α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) Receptor Desensitization journal March 2014
EF hands at the N-lobe of calmodulin are required for both SK channel gating and stable SK–calmodulin interaction journal September 2009
Analysis of high-affinity assembly for AMPA receptor amino-terminal domains journal May 2013
New developments in nanopore research—from fundamentals to applications journal October 2010
Mechanisms of activation, inhibition and specificity: crystal structures of the NMDA receptor NR1 ligand-binding core journal June 2003
Structure and function of glutamate receptor amino terminal domains: Glutamate receptor amino terminal domains journal December 2011
Control of Assembly and Function of Glutamate Receptors by the Amino-Terminal Domain journal July 2010
Mapping the Binding of GluN2B-Selective N -Methyl-d-aspartate Receptor Negative Allosteric Modulators journal May 2012
Structural Determinants and Mechanism of Action of a GluN2C-selective NMDA Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator journal September 2014
Glutamate Receptor Ion Channels: Structure, Regulation, and Function journal August 2010
Crystal Structure of a Mammalian Voltage-Dependent Shaker Family K+ Channel journal August 2005
Crystal structure of a heterotetrameric NMDA receptor ion channel journal May 2014
Structure of an agonist-bound ionotropic glutamate receptor journal August 2014
X-ray structures of AMPA receptor-cone snail toxin complexes illuminate activation mechanism journal August 2014
The Structure of the Potassium Channel: Molecular Basis of K+ Conduction and Selectivity journal April 1998
Control of proton sensitivity of the NMDA receptor by RNA splicing and polyamines journal May 1995
Biomolecular Simulation: A Computational Microscope for Molecular Biology journal June 2012
The NMDA Receptor Gating Machine: Lessons from Single Channels journal June 2004
An Alternating GluN1-2-1-2 Subunit Arrangement in Mature NMDA Receptors journal April 2012
Three-dimensional structure of an AMPA receptor without associated stargazin/TARP proteins journal January 2006
Crystal Structures of the Kainate Receptor GluR5 Ligand Binding Core Dimer with Novel GluR5-Selective Antagonists journal March 2006
Control of NMDA Receptor Function by the NR2 Subunit Amino-Terminal Domain journal September 2009
DRPEER: A Motif in the Extracellular Vestibule Conferring High Ca 2+ Flux Rates in NMDA Receptor Channels journal December 2002
Arrangement of Subunits in Functional NMDA Receptors journal August 2011
Separation of Domain Contacts Is Required for Heterotetrameric Assembly of Functional NMDA Receptors journal March 2011
Effects of Sodium Glutamate on the Nervous System journal January 1954

Cited By (16)

Monoclonal antibodies from a patient with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis journal July 2018
Exciting Times: New Advances Towards Understanding the Regulation and Roles of Kainate Receptors journal December 2017
Allosteric regulation in NMDA receptors revealed by the genetically encoded photo-cross-linkers journal October 2016
Structure, function, and allosteric modulation of NMDA receptors journal July 2018
Distinct roles of GRIN2A and GRIN2B variants in neurological conditions journal January 2019
LY354740 Reduces Extracellular Glutamate Concentration, Inhibits Phosphorylation of Fyn/NMDARs, and Expression of PLK2/pS129 α-Synuclein in Mice Treated With Acute or Sub-Acute MPTP journal February 2020
Zebrafish Get Connected: Investigating Neurotransmission Targets and Alterations in Chemical Toxicity journal August 2016
NMDA Receptors in the Central Nervous System book January 2017
Activation of NMDA receptors and the mechanism of inhibition by ifenprodil journal May 2016
Recent advances in the medicinal chemistry of group II and group III mGlu receptors journal January 2017
Glutamate sensing in biofluids: recent advances and research challenges of electrochemical sensors journal January 2020
NMDA receptor channel gating control by the pre-M1 helix journal March 2020
The dynamic AMPA receptor extracellular region: a platform for synaptic protein interactions: Synaptic AMPAR structural dynamics and synaptic interactors journal April 2016
A structurally derived model of subunit-dependent NMDA receptor function: Subunit-dependent modelling of NMDA receptor kinetics journal August 2018
Functional Evaluation of a De Novo GRIN2A Mutation Identified in a Patient with Profound Global Developmental Delay and Refractory Epilepsy journal January 2017
Maternal fluoride exposure during gestation and lactation decreased learning and memory ability, and glutamate receptor mRNA expressions of mouse pups journal January 2017

Similar Records

Crystal Structures of the Glutamate Receptor Ion Channel GluK3 and GluK5 Amino-Terminal Domains
Journal Article · Mon Nov 29 23:00:00 EST 2010 · J. Mol. Biol. · OSTI ID:1002898

Crystal structure and association behaviour of the GluR2 amino-terminal domain
Journal Article · Wed Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · EMBO J. · OSTI ID:1005776

Glycine activated ion channel subunits encoded by ctenophore glutamate receptor genes
Journal Article · Mon Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · OSTI ID:1228098