# Molecular mechanism of ligand gating and opening of NMDA receptor

*PRI Rank #9 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Ion channel regulation and function Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/ion-channel-regulation-and-function/2026/rank-9*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #9 |
| 18m citations | 41 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41586-024-07742-0 |
| Corresponding authors | Hiro Furukawa |
| Institution | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Ion channel regulation and function Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/ion-channel-regulation-and-function/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41586-024-07742-0](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07742-0)

## Topics

NMDA receptor · Ligand gating · receptor opening mechanism · Glutamate receptor · Channel activation · agonist binding · Conformational change · Allosteric modulation · glycine co-agonist · Transmembrane domain · ligand-binding domain · structural dynamics · Channel opening · glutamate binding · receptor activation

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Ion channel regulation and function Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/ion-channel-regulation-and-function/2026. Accessed 2026-07-22.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```