Glutamate receptors are the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter receptors in the mammalian brain and are activated in a variety of normal neurophysiologic processes. This gene product belongs to the kainate family of glutamate receptors, which are composed of four subunits and function as ligand-activated ion channels. The subunit encoded by this gene is subject to RNA editing (CAG->CGG; Q->R) within the second transmembrane domain, which is thought to alter the properties of ion flow. Alternative splicing, resulting in transcript variants encoding different isoforms, has been noted for this gene.