A revised model of the molecular structure of the acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction.
The recently reported amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit of Electrophorus indicates that a previous hypothesis presented of the molecular structure of the acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction based on the sequence of the alpha subunit of Torpedo is improbable: an "essential" glu (13) of Torpedo is replaced by ser (13) which cannot subsume the function for glu (13) postulated in the hypothesis. This paper presents a new hypothesis which is applicable to both Electrophorus and Torpedo. A mode of rigorously testing the hypothesis provided by the irreversible blocker, lophotoxin, is described.
D000818:Animals; D004593:Electrophorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008961:Models, Structural; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000378:metabolism*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D014101:Torpedo / Q000378:metabolism*
D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic