Patent ID: 8309350

Claim:
A cell comprising a light-regulated polypeptide, wherein the light-regulated polypeptide comprises an ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) and a synthetic regulator of said iGluR, wherein the synthetic regulator has the structure: wherein R 1 is a binding moiety that provides for covalent linkage to the iGluR, wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of a maleimide, an acrylic ester, an acrylic amide, acrylamide, an α-haloacetamide, an epoxide, a succinimidyl ester, a disulfide, vinylsulfone, and a methanethiosulfonate; and R 2 has the structure: wherein n is 0, 1 or 2; m is 1 or 3; and R″ is a ligand of the iGluR, and wherein the synthetic regulator is stably associated with the iGluR at or near a ligand binding site of the iGluR.