Functional analysis of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors using knockout mice.
Because of the low selectivity of available ligands, pharmacological approaches to elucidate the functional difference among muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes have been problematic. As an alternative approach, we have established a series of mutant mouse lines deficient in each mAChR subtype (mAChR KO mice). The systematic analyses of these mice have been useful in revealing the functional difference among mAChR subtypes. Here, we review our prior research on these mutant mice and also some notable findings reported by other research groups.
Matsui
Minoru
M
Division of Neuronal Network, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. mmatsui@dd.iij4u.or.jp
Yamada
Shizuo
S
Oki
Tomomi
T
Manabe
Toshiya
T
Taketo
Makoto M
MM
Ehlert
Frederick J
FJ
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D007858:Learning; D008568:Memory; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*
D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic