Agonist‐activated ion channels

This paper looks at ion channels as an example of the pharmacologist's stock in trade, the action of an agonist on a receptor to produce a response. Looked at in this way, ion channels have been helpful because they are still the only system which is simple enough for quantitative investigation of transduction mechanisms. A short history is given of attempts to elucidate what happens between the time when agonist first binds, and the time when the channel opens. British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 147 , S17–S26. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706502