Robo receptor: researchers engineer a brain ion channel to take its cues from light.(This Week)

From: Science News | Date: January 14, 2006| Author: | Copyright information

Teasing apart the complex circuitry of the brain might someday proceed with the flip of a switch, now that scientists have invented a light-responsive version of a common class of cell-surface proteins. The design permits precise control over whether channels into neurons are opened or closed to the ions that propagate nerve impulses.

To send information quickly, the brain relies on the neurotransmitter glutamate. This chemical attaches to the inside of a clamshell-shaped part of the glutamate receptor, a protein on the surface of nerve cells. Once that occurs, the clamshell ...

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