Ionotropic glutamate receptors: alive and kicking

It has been about 25 years since a landmark cloning study identified the molecular identity of the first of 18 different genes that encode the ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) family (Hollmann et al. 1989). Since that time, we have witnessed major advances in our understanding of the biology of iGluRs. Breakthroughs in genetics provided our first insights into the many roles iGluRs fulfil in behaviour and disease (Mulle et al. 1998), with advances in biochemistry identifying the myriad of protein partners that shuttle iGluRs into and out of synapses (Nicoll et al. 2006; Sheng & Kim, 2011). The last decade has been dominated by structural biology, which has offered an unprecedented glimpse into the working life of the iGluR at atomic resolution (Gouaux, 2004; Mayer & Armstrong, 2004). Each great advance has drawn more and more distinct scientific disciplines into the iGluR field, making it a challenge to keep up with the latest technological developments and biological advances.