Evolutionary biochemistry of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels

在最基本的层面上，我们的神经系统是一个由称为神经元的特殊细胞组成的复杂电路，这些细胞通过电信号相互交流。这个过程依赖于嵌入神经元膜中的蛋白质，称为离子通道，其活动产生并传播这些电信号。数十亿年的进化导致了离子通道多样性的惊人阵列，不同的离子通道类型响应于各种刺激而打开和关闭。

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.