Many physiologic effects of l-glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, are mediated via signaling by ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). These ligand-gated ion channels are critical to brain function and are centrally implicated in numerous psychiatric and neurologic disorders. There are different classes of iGluRs with a variety of receptor subtypes in each class that play distinct roles in neuronal functions. The diversity in iGluR subtypes, with their unique functional properties and physiologic roles, has motivated a large number of studies. Our understanding of receptor subtypes has advanced considerably since the first iGluR subunit gene was cloned in 1989, and the research focus has expanded to encompass facets of biology that have been recently discovered and to exploit experimental paradigms made possible by technological advances. Here, we review insights from more than 3 decades of iGluR studies with an emphasis on the progress that has occurred in the past decade. We cover structure, function, pharmacology, roles in neurophysiology, and therapeutic implications for all classes of receptors assembled from the subunits encoded by the 18 ionotropic glutamate receptor genes.

许多生理作用 升-谷氨酸是哺乳动物中枢神经系统中的主要兴奋性神经递质，通过离子型谷氨酸受体 (iGluR) 的信号传导介导。这些配体门控离子通道对大脑功能至关重要，并且与许多精神和神经系统疾病有关。有不同类别的 iGluR，每一类都有不同的受体亚型，在神经元功能中发挥不同的作用。iGluR 亚型的多样性及其独特的功能特性和生理作用激发了大量研究。自 1989 年克隆第一个 iGluR 亚基基因以来，我们对受体亚型的理解有了很大进展，并且研究重点已经扩展到包括最近发现的生物学的各个方面，并利用技术进步使实验范式成为可能。在这里，我们回顾了超过 3 年的 iGluR 研究的见解，重点是过去十年取得的进展。我们涵盖了由 18 个离子型谷氨酸受体基因编码的亚基组装而成的所有类型受体的结构、功能、药理学、神经生理学中的作用和治疗意义。