Résumé
The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are glutamate-activated G-protein-coupled receptors that are expressed throughout the central nervous system. The eight mGluR subtypes serve to modulate transmission at many synapses and are potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of many neurological and psychiatric diseases. In particular, their organization in multiple domains and subunits offers various possibilities for the development of new drugs that modulate mGluR activity. This review will show how recent and original approaches to study the mGluR structure, dynamics, and pharmacology have brought a new view of their mechanism of activation and the possibility of developing innovative ligands, such as light-regulated drugs, to control the physiological activity of mGluRs in animals.