Kainate receptors coming of age: milestones of two decades of research.

Anis Contractor, Christophe Mulle, Geoffrey T. Swanson
Trends in Neurosciences. 2011-03-01; 34(3): 154-163
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2010.12.002

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1. Trends Neurosci. 2011 Mar;34(3):154-63. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2010.12.002. Epub
2011 Jan 20.

Kainate receptors coming of age: milestones of two decades of research.

Contractor A(1), Mulle C, Swanson GT.

Author information:
(1)Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,
Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

Two decades have passed since the first report of the cloning of a kainate-type
glutamate receptor (KAR) subunit. The intervening years have seen a rapid growth
in our understanding of the biophysical properties and function of KARs in the
brain. This research has led to an appreciation that KARs play very distinct
roles at synapses relative to other members of the glutamate-gated ion channel
receptor family, despite structural and functional commonalities. The
surprisingly diverse and complex nature of KAR signaling underlies their unique
impact upon neuronal networks through their direct and indirect effects on
synaptic transmission, and their prominent role in regulating cell excitability.
This review pieces together highlights from the two decades of research
subsequent to the cloning of the first subunit, and provides an overview of our
current understanding of the role of KARs in the CNS and their potential
importance to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2010.12.002
PMCID: PMC3051042
PMID: 21256604 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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