Structural Insights into Kainate Receptor Desensitization.

ABSTRACT: Kainate receptors (KARs), along with AMPA and NMDA receptors, belong to the ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) family and play critical roles in mediating excitatory neurotransmission throughout the central nervous system. KARs also regulate neurotransmitter release and modulate neuronal excitability and plasticity. Receptor desensitization plays a critical role in modulating the strength of synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. While KARs share overall structural similarity with AMPA receptors, the desensitized state of KARs differs strikingly from that of other iGluRs. Despite extensive studies on KARs, a fundamental question remains unsolved: why do KARs require large conformational changes upon desensitization, unlike other iGluRs? To address this, we present cryo-electron

SUBMITTER: Zhou C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11996427 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature