title: Functional acetylcholine receptor in PC12 cells reacts with a monoclonal antibody to brain nicotinic receptors.
abstract: The use of a variety of probes for neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors has indicated that there are sites on neurons that bind the acetylcholine receptor antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin, but do not regulate cation channels in response to the binding of acetylcholine. Sites with high binding affinity for nicotine and for alpha-bungarotoxin also show different distributions in brain. A monoclonal antibody (mAb35) raised against acetylcholine receptors from Electrophorus electric organ has been used to purify receptors from chick brain. These receptors do not bind alpha-bungarotoxin but have a high affinity for nicotine and antibodies raised against them block the function of acetylcholine receptors in ciliary ganglia. We have raised a monoclonal antibody (mAb270) against acetylcholine receptors from chicken brain (P.J.W., R. Liu, S. Shimasaki, F. Esch, B. Morley & J.M.L., manuscript in preparation), which has been used to purify a similar receptor from rat brain. Here we show that this antibody identifies a functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in rat-neuron-like PC12 cells which is probably not encoded by the cDNA clone (lambda PCA48) previously suggested as a candidate for the acetylcholine receptor gene. Additionally, we show that mAb270 binds to the same areas of rat brain as nicotine.
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens; D004557:Electric Organ / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000032:analysis*; D014101:Torpedo
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000939:Epitopes; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic