This gene encodes a multi-pass transmembrane protein that forms a homotetramer or heterotetramer in neuronal cells. The encoded protein is a ligand-gated ion channel that responds to the neurotransmitter L-glutamate to promote synaptic transmission. Deficiency of this gene leads to behavioral phenotypes. The transcript is subject to RNA editing at codon 769 (AGA->GGA; R->G). Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2013]