Ligand-gated channels
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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

A Fluorescent Screening Assay for Identifying Modulators of GIRK Channels
Published on: April 24, 2012
Peter H Barry1, Joseph W Lynch
1School of Medical Sciences at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. p.barry@unsw.edu.au
Abstract:
Ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) are fast-responding channels in which the receptor, which binds the activating molecule (the ligand), and the ion channel are part of the same nanomolecular protein complex. This paper will describe the properties and functions of the nicotinic acetylcholine LGIC superfamily, which plays a critical role in the fast chemical transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells and between nerve and muscle cells. The superfamily will mainly be exemplified by the excitatory nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and the inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) channels.
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