Abstract
Abstract Neurotransmitter-gated receptors contribute to synaptic transmission and modulation in many ways. Considering glutamate receptors as an example, it becomes clear that these receptor families are highly diverse and that it is experimentally challenging to disentangle the different functional contributions of closely related receptor subtypes. Pharmacological and genetic methods are now complemented by optogenetic approaches, which allow for controlling receptor signaling with light. Using glutamate receptors as an example, I summarize how tethered photoswitchable ligands can be used to control individual receptor subtypes with high spatial and temporal precision, and in specific cells. These, and similarly exciting approaches, offer new possibilities for probing the function of individual receptors in the nervous system.
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