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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Agonist-Induced Conformational Changes In The Nmda Receptor, Ryan Durham, Ryan Durham
Agonist-Induced Conformational Changes In The Nmda Receptor, Ryan Durham, Ryan Durham
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
NMDA receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate a number of physiological and pathological phenomena within the mammalian central nervous system. Under the typical course of activation, these receptors bind to glycine and glutamate molecules and undergo a series of conformational changes that results in the opening of a cation-permeable pore in the neuronal plasma membrane. Various aspects of NMDA receptor function are not fully understood, including the phenomenon of negative cooperativity between the glycine- and glutamate-binding sites of the receptor and the mechanism controlling partial agonism. Past studies utilizing static structural snapshots of the receptor or isolated domains of …
Modulation Of The Receptor Gating Mechanism And Allosteric Communication In Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors, Nabina Paudyal, Nabina Paudyal
Modulation Of The Receptor Gating Mechanism And Allosteric Communication In Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors, Nabina Paudyal, Nabina Paudyal
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) found in mammalian brain are primarily known to mediate excitatory synaptic transmission crucial for learning and memory formation. The family of iGluRs consists of AMPA receptors, NMDA receptors and kainate receptors with each member having distinct physiological role. In the recent years, significant progress has been made in understanding the biophysical, and functional properties of iGluRs. The development of Cryo-EM and X-Ray crystallography techniques have further facilitated in the structural understanding of these receptors. However, the multidomain nature, large size of the protein, complex gating mechanism and inadequate knowledge regarding the conformational dynamics of the receptors …