Ligand-gated channels

Author

Barry, Peter H. ; Lynch, Joseph W.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Med. Sci., Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Volume

4

Issue

1

fYear

2005

fDate

3/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

70

Lastpage

80

Abstract

Ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) are fast-responding channels in which the receptor, which binds the activating molecule (the ligand), and the ion channel are part of the same nanomolecular protein complex. This paper will describe the properties and functions of the nicotinic acetylcholine LGIC superfamily, which plays a critical role in the fast chemical transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells and between nerve and muscle cells. The superfamily will mainly be exemplified by the excitatory nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and the inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) channels.

Keywords

bioelectric phenomena; biomembrane transport; molecular biophysics; muscle; neurophysiology; proteins; electrical signals; excitatory nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channel; fast chemical transmission; fast-responding channels; inhibitory glycine receptor channel; muscle cells; nanomolecular protein complex; nerve cells; nicotinic acetylcholine ligand-gated ion channel superfamily; Acetylcholine receptor channel; channel gating; glycine receptor channel; ion permeation; Animals; Cell Membrane Permeability; Humans; Ion Channel Gating; Ion Channels; Membrane Potentials; Models, Biological; Models, Chemical; Neurotransmitter Agents; Protein Conformation; Receptors, Neurotransmitter; Structure-Activity Relationship; Synaptic Transmission;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

NanoBioscience, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1536-1241

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TNB.2004.842497

Filename

1402411