Structure and function of an acetylcholine receptor.
Structural analysis of an acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica leads to a three-dimensional model in which a "monomeric" receptor is shown to contain subunits arranged around a central ionophoretic channel, which in turn traverses the entire 110 A length of the molecule. The receptor extends approximately 15 A on the cytoplasmic side, 55 A on the synaptic side of the membrane. The alpha-bungarotoxin/agonist binding site is found to be approximately 55 A from the entrance to the central gated ion channel. A hypothesis for the mechanism of AcChR is presented which takes into account the structural and kinetic data, which is testable, and which serves as a focus for future studies on the agonist-induced structure change in AcChR.
D000818:Animals; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008954:Models, Biological; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014101:Torpedo
D002038:Bungarotoxins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic