Evolutionary biochemistry of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels

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At its most basic level our nervous system is an intricate circuit of specialized cells called neurons that communicate with each other using electrical signals. This process relies on proteins embedded in the neuronal membrane, called ion channels, whose activity both generates and propagates these electrical signals. Billions of years of evolution have led to a staggering array of ion channel diversity, with different ion channel types opening and closing in response to a variety of stimuli.