Ion channels are expressed in almost all living cells, controlling the in-and-out
communications, making them ideal drug targets, especially for central nervous system …

Identification of ethanol's (EtOH) primary molecular brain targets and determination of their
functional role is an ongoing, important quest. Pentameric ligand‐gated ion channels, that is …

Despite the clinical ubiquity of anesthesia, the molecular basis of anesthetic action is poorly
understood. Amongst the many molecular targets proposed to contribute to anesthetic …

Neurosteroids are endogenous sterols that potentiate or inhibit pentameric ligand-gated ion
channels (pLGICs) and can be effective anesthetics, analgesics, or anti-epileptic drugs. The …

The cellular membrane constitutes the first element that encounters a wide variety of
molecular species to which a cell might be exposed. Hosting a large number of structurally …

Alcohols and other anesthetic agents dramatically alter neurologic function in a wide range
of organisms, yet their molecular sites of action remain poorly characterized. Pentameric …

Recent studies have shown that gene regulation is far more complex than previously
believed and does not completely explain changes at the protein level. Therefore, the direct …

Ligand-gated ion channels conduct currents in response to chemical stimuli, mediating
electrochemical signaling in neurons and other excitable cells. For many channels, the …

While small molecules have been used to induce anesthesia in a clinical setting for well
over a century, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanism remains elusive. In …

The Gloeobacter violaceus ligand-gated ion channel (GLIC) has been extensively studied
by X-ray crystallography and other biophysical techniques. This provided key insights into …