title: Desensitization of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor by diisopropylfluorophosphate.
abstract: The interaction of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) with the nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor of Torpedo electric organ was studied, using [3H]-phencyclidine ([3H]-PCP) as a reporter probe. Phencyclidine binds with different kinetics to resting, activated, and desensitized receptor conformations. Although DFP did not inhibit binding of [3H]-ACh or 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin (BGT) to the receptor recognition sites and potentiated in a time-dependent manner [3H]-PCP binding to the receptor's high-affinity allosteric site, it inhibited the ACh- or carbamylcholine-stimulated [3H]-PCP binding. This suggested that DFP bound to a third kind of site on the receptor and affected receptor conformation. Preincubation of the membranes with DFP increased the receptor's affinity for carbamylcholine by eightfold and raised the pseudo-first-order rate of [3H]-PCP binding to that of an agonist-desensitized receptor. Accordingly, it is suggested that DFP induces receptor desensitization by binding to a site that is distinct from the recognition or high-affinity noncompetitive sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Eldefrawi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bakry
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Valdes
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004557:Electric Organ / Q000378:metabolism; D007531:Isoflurophate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D010622:Phencyclidine / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014101:Torpedo
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D007531:Isoflurophate; D002217:Carbachol; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D010622:Phencyclidine; D000109:Acetylcholine