Elucidation of AMPA receptor–stargazin complexes by cryo–electron microscopy

Stargazin and the AMPA receptor AMPA-subtype ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs) mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission and contribute to higher cognitive processes such as learning and memory. In the brain, AMPARs exist as protein-protein complexes with various auxiliary subunits that tightly control AMPAR trafficking, gating, and pharmacology. Disruption of these complexes is implicated in numerous psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Twomey et al. used cryo-electron microscopy to solve the structure of an AMPAR complex with stargazin (STZ), the major representative of transmembrane AMPAR regulatory proteins. STZ controls AMPAR synaptic targeting, synaptic plasticity, compartment-specific activity, pharmacology, and gating. Science , this issue p. 83