title: A family of acetylcholine-gated chloride channel subunits in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: The genome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans encodes a surprisingly large and diverse superfamily of genes encoding Cys loop ligand-gated ion channels. Here we report the first cloning, expression, and pharmacological characterization of members of a family of anion-selective acetylcholine receptor subunits. Two subunits, ACC-1 and ACC-2, form homomeric channels for which acetylcholine and arecoline, but not nicotine, are efficient agonists. These channels are blocked by d-tubocurarine but not by alpha-bungarotoxin. We provide evidence that two additional subunits, ACC-3 and ACC-4, interact with ACC-1 and ACC-2. The acetylcholine-binding domain of these channels appears to have diverged substantially from the acetylcholine-binding domain of nicotinic receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1B1, Canada.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Putrenko
authors.forename: Mahvash
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zakikhani
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001115:Arecoline / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014403:Tubocurarine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018118:Chloride Channels; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D001115:Arecoline; D009538:Nicotine; D014403:Tubocurarine