Primary ethanol-binding sites that fulfill the four criteria have yet to be identified for all of these LGICs, but there is evidence of direct interactions with several of the cys-loop LGICs (Howard et al., 2014). For example, the structural basis for a direct interaction of ethanol with the prototypic G. violaceus LGIC has been determined and is thought to be a transmembrane cavity between two membrane-spanning domains (Sauguet et al., 2013). Identifying the expression sites and cellular actions of the subunits of these ethanol-sensitive channels is an important next step in understanding how the molecular effect of ethanol translates into altered neuronal and circuit function.
