The Molecular Biology of Acetylcholine Receptors from the Vertebrate Peripheral and Central Nervous Systems

Jackson, J. F.; Beeson, D. M. W.; Cockcroft, V. B.; Darlison, M. G.; Conti-Tronconi, B. M.; Bell, L. D.; Barnard, E. A.

Abstract

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChR) mediate chemical communication at synapses in many parts of the vertebrate nervous system, including neuromuscular junctions, autonomic ganglia, and certain sites in the brain. This occurs through the interaction of neuronally-released acetylcholine (ACh) with recognition sites on the AChR in the postsynaptic membrane. ACh binding activates a gated cation channel and results in a transient change in the permeability of the membrane, which can be measured as a depolarisation of the transmembrane electrical potential. This has been directly demonstrated for the best characterised AChR, that from the electroplax of Torpedo sp. or Electrophorus sp. The Torpedo electric organ is a rich source of AChR protein and mRNA, and studies on this model system have contributed crucially to our understanding of AChR structure and function. An extensive review literature is available (Karlin 1980; Conti-Tronconi and Raftery 1982;Kistler et al. 1982; Dolly and Barnard 1984; Popot and Changeux 1984).

• Publication Date: 1986
• Deposit Date: Jul 26, 2016
• Publisher: Springer
• Pages: 66-74
• Series Title: Proceedings in Life Sciences
• Book Title: Molecular Aspects of Neurobiology
• ISBN: 9783642706929
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70690-5_13
• Keywords: Optic Lobe, Chicken Muscle, Vertebrate Nervous System, AChR Subunit, Torpedo Electric Organ,
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/316465