pLGICs such as the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) are ubiquitous in the nervous system where they determine synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. These channels are targets of general anesthetics and anti-epileptics, and potential targets for the treatment of many neuropsychiatric diseases. pLGIC function is modulated by certain lipids6, including anionic phospholipids which enhance agonist response in the nAChR. Anionic phospholipids, as well as sterols and fatty acids, have also been shown to modulate other pLGICs. It is intuitive that lipids modulate pLGICs by influencing the conformational stability of different states that the channel samples during gating; however, mechanisms of phospholipid modulation of any pLGIC remain poorly understood. A recent work by Petroff and coworkers (Nat Commun 13, 7017, 2022) determined several cryoEM structures of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel from Dickeya chrysanthemi bacterium, showing some insights about the ion transport mechanism (PDB code: 8VUW)

#molecularart ...#lipid ... #channel ... #transport .. #ion ... #dickeya ... #cryoem

Structure rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint