ABSTRACT
Nine out of every ten synapses in the brain are excitatory. The glutamate receptor ion channels (iGluRs) that reside in these synapses are cornerstones of fast signaling in the brain. They convert the glutamate released by synaptic terminals into depolarization of their host neurons. Certain iGluRs participate in activity-dependent plasticity, thought to underlie learning and memory. The deployment of iGluRs throughout the nervous system implicates the glutamatergic system in a wide range of neurological and developmental disorders.
