Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) mediate fast synaptic communication by
converting chemical signals into an electrical response. Recently solved agonist-bound and …

The last five years have witnessed major developments in the understanding of the allosteric
phenomenon, broadly defined as coupling between remote molecular sites. Such advances …

The precise mechanism by which propofol enhances GABAergic transmission remains
unclear, but much progress has been made regarding the underlying structural and dynamic …

Synaptic receptors respond to neurotransmitters by opening an ion channel across the post-
synaptic membrane to elicit a cellular response. Here we use recent Torpedo acetylcholine …

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), assembled as homomeric pentameric
ligand-gated ion channels, is one of the most abundant nAChR subtypes in the brain …

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 …

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are targets of general anesthetics, but functional
sensitivity to anesthetic inhibition varies dramatically among different subtypes of nAChRs …

Allosteric modulators of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels are thought to act on
elements of the pathways that couple agonist binding to channel gating. Using α4β2 …

For decades, the development of selective compounds has been the main goal for chemists
and biologists involved in drug discovery. However, diverse lines of evidence indicate that …

General anesthetics exert their effects on the central nervous system by acting on ion
channels, most notably pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. Although numerous studies …