title: Amino acid residues forming the interface of a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor with kappa-bungarotoxin: a study using single residue substituted peptide analogs.
abstract: kappa-Bungarotoxin is a high affinity antagonist of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the alpha 3 subtype. Three sequence segments of the alpha 3 subunit that contribute to forming the binding site for kappa-bungarotoxin were previously located using synthetic peptides corresponding to the complete alpha 3 subunit, i.e., alpha 3(1-18), alpha 3(50-71) and alpha 3(180-201). Here we use single residue substituted peptide analogs of the alpha 3(50-71) sequence, in which amino acids are sequentially replaced by Gly, to determine which residues are important for kappa-bungarotoxin binding activity. Although no single substitution obliterated kappa-bungarotoxin binding, several amino acid substitutions lowered the affinity for kappa-bungarotoxin--i.e., two negatively charged residues (Glu51 and Asp62), and several aliphatic and aromatic residues (Leu54, Leu56, and Tyr63). These results indicate that the interface of the alpha 3 subunit with kappa-bungarotoxin involves primarily hydrophobic interactions, and a few negatively charged residues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McLane
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Conti-Tronconi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014101:Torpedo
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010455:Peptides; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic