Activation of glutamate receptors: Seeing is believing

Our brain is a high-performance computer. One of the key players in this complex system is the AMPA-type glutamate receptor. It ensures that neurotransmission proceeds at a breakneck pace from cell to cell. Researchers have now succeeded, by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), to watch activated receptors at work. The scientists detected movements of unexpected parts of the receptor. Never before was activation of AMPARs measured optically and electrically at the same time. This technological breakthrough suggests new ways to see into the brain, including in pathological situations.