Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41686897›Full record

ArticleScience advances2026

Structural basis for domain coupling in heteromeric glycine receptors revealed by an atypical allosteric agonist.

Eric Gibbs, Bjarne Feddersen, Kayla J Kindig, David Seiferth, Philip C Biggin, Sudha Chakrapani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Eric GibbsDepartment of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4970, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3345-8566
Bjarne FeddersenStructural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4503-3343
Kayla J KindigDepartment of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4970, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8335-1436
David SeiferthStructural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4250-558X
Philip C BigginStructural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5100-8836
Sudha ChakrapaniDepartment of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4970, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0722-2338

Funding

Structure and Function of Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion ChannelsR35GM134896 · NIGMS · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · PI Sudha Chakrapani · 2020 to 2026
$4.7M
Acquisition of 200kV Glacios Cryo Transmission Electron MicroscopeS10OD032437 · OD · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · PI CHAKRAPANI, SUDHA · 2022 to 2022
$2.0M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM134896NIH HHS S10 OD032437
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glycine receptors (GlyRs), pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs), mediate sensory and motor functions. GlyR functional states are well characterized; however, structural details of transitions between states remain undefined. Here, we determined cryo-electron microscopy structures of GlyRα1β (with gephyrin E-domain) at varying concentrations of ivermectin, a transmembrane domain (TMD) allosteric agonist, and at saturating concentrations of strychnine, a competitive antagonist at the extracellular domain (ECD). Electrophysiology shows that ivermectin activates GlyR even with strychnine present. Structures with both ligands reveal intermediate states featuring a desensitized TMD and an ECD between closed and desensitized conformations, providing insights into domain cooperativity and ligand efficacy. Molecular dynamics simulations show how ivermectin affects strychnine dynamics. These data support a model where ivermectin activates GlyRs through a concerted and near-symmetric TMD mechanism, whereas allosteric ECD motions are graded and spatially heterogeneous. These findings reveal unanticipated features of GlyR gating and establish principles of allosteric modulation applicable to pLGICs.

Indexed as

Receptors, GlycineAllosteric RegulationAnimalsCryoelectron MicroscopyHumansIon Channel GatingIvermectinLigandsMolecular Dynamics SimulationProtein DomainsStrychnineIvermectinLigandsReceptors, GlycineStrychnine

Identifiers

PMID41686897
PMCPMC12904182

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.