Glutamate signalling in the brain: first three-dimensional images capture AMPA in action

Recent findings published in Nature have captured the first three-dimensional images of the AMPA-subtype glutamate receptor when it is activated by glutamate. These findings provide researchers with a greater understanding of the receptor in action, which may help towards the development of therapeutics for neurological disorders associated with defects in glutamate signalling. In previous studies, the structure of the AMPA alone was identified. As well as this, the receptor’s structure when in complex with other proteins (which regulate the strength and speed of synaptic connections) has also been deciphered. However, in this new study, researchers at the Columbia University Medical...