Patent ID: 8178496

Claim:
A synthetic regulator of glutamate receptor function, the regulator comprising: a) a photoisomerizable group selected from an azobenzene, a fulgide, a spiropyran, a triphenyl methane, a thioindigo, a diarylethene, and an overcrowded alkene; b) a ligand that binds to a ligand binding site of said glutamate receptor, wherein the ligand is selected from the group consisting of glutamate, methylglutamate, 4-allyl glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, D-serine, or glycine, wherein the ligand is covalently linked to the photoisomerizable group, and wherein the synthetic regulator does not comprise a linker domain comprising a binding moiety that provides for stable association with the glutamate receptor.