Biomaterial Database

The mechanism of agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor aggregation. 1991

B G Wallace

Department of Physiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262.

Agrin, a protein isolated from the synapse-rich electric organ of Torpedo californica, induces the formation of specializations on myotubes in culture which resemble the post-synaptic apparatus at the vertebrate skeletal neuromuscular junction. For example, the specializations contain aggregates of acetylcholine receptors and acetylcholinesterase. This report summarizes the evidence that the formation of the post-synaptic apparatus at developing and regenerating neuromuscular junctions is triggered by the release of agrin from motor axon terminals and describes results of recent experiments which suggest that agrin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the beta subunit of the acetylcholine receptor may play a role in receptor aggregation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008959	Models, Neurological	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of the neurological system, processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Neurologic Models,Model, Neurological,Neurologic Model,Neurological Model,Neurological Models,Model, Neurologic,Models, Neurologic
D009046	Motor Neurons	Neurons which activate MUSCLE CELLS.	Neurons, Motor,Alpha Motorneurons,Motoneurons,Motor Neurons, Alpha,Neurons, Alpha Motor,Alpha Motor Neuron,Alpha Motor Neurons,Alpha Motorneuron,Motoneuron,Motor Neuron,Motor Neuron, Alpha,Motorneuron, Alpha,Motorneurons, Alpha,Neuron, Alpha Motor,Neuron, Motor
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009419	Nerve Tissue Proteins		Proteins, Nerve Tissue,Tissue Proteins, Nerve
D010766	Phosphorylation	The introduction of a phosphoryl group into a compound through the formation of an ester bond between the compound and a phosphorus moiety.	Phosphorylations
D011505	Protein-Tyrosine Kinases	Protein kinases that catalyze the PHOSPHORYLATION of TYROSINE residues in proteins with ATP or other nucleotides as phosphate donors.	Tyrosine Protein Kinase,Tyrosine-Specific Protein Kinase,Protein-Tyrosine Kinase,Tyrosine Kinase,Tyrosine Protein Kinases,Tyrosine-Specific Protein Kinases,Tyrosylprotein Kinase,Kinase, Protein-Tyrosine,Kinase, Tyrosine,Kinase, Tyrosine Protein,Kinase, Tyrosine-Specific Protein,Kinase, Tyrosylprotein,Kinases, Protein-Tyrosine,Kinases, Tyrosine Protein,Kinases, Tyrosine-Specific Protein,Protein Kinase, Tyrosine-Specific,Protein Kinases, Tyrosine,Protein Kinases, Tyrosine-Specific,Protein Tyrosine Kinase,Protein Tyrosine Kinases,Tyrosine Specific Protein Kinase,Tyrosine Specific Protein Kinases
D011950	Receptors, Cholinergic	Cell surface proteins that bind acetylcholine with high affinity and trigger intracellular changes influencing the behavior of cells. Cholinergic receptors are divided into two major classes, muscarinic and nicotinic, based originally on their affinity for nicotine and muscarine. Each group is further subdivided based on pharmacology, location, mode of action, and/or molecular biology.	ACh Receptor,Acetylcholine Receptor,Acetylcholine Receptors,Cholinergic Receptor,Cholinergic Receptors,Cholinoceptive Sites,Cholinoceptor,Cholinoceptors,Receptors, Acetylcholine,ACh Receptors,Receptors, ACh,Receptor, ACh,Receptor, Acetylcholine,Receptor, Cholinergic,Sites, Cholinoceptive
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001485	Basement Membrane	A darkly stained mat-like EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX (ECM) that separates cell layers, such as EPITHELIUM from ENDOTHELIUM or a layer of CONNECTIVE TISSUE. The ECM layer that supports an overlying EPITHELIUM or ENDOTHELIUM is called basal lamina. Basement membrane (BM) can be formed by the fusion of either two adjacent basal laminae or a basal lamina with an adjacent reticular lamina of connective tissue. BM, composed mainly of TYPE IV COLLAGEN; glycoprotein LAMININ; and PROTEOGLYCAN, provides barriers as well as channels between interacting cell layers.	Basal Lamina,Basement Lamina,Lamina Densa,Lamina Lucida,Lamina Reticularis,Basement Membranes,Densas, Lamina,Lamina, Basal,Lamina, Basement,Lucida, Lamina,Membrane, Basement,Membranes, Basement,Reticularis, Lamina
D013569	Synapses	Specialized junctions at which a neuron communicates with a target cell. At classical synapses, a neuron's presynaptic terminal releases a chemical transmitter stored in synaptic vesicles which diffuses across a narrow synaptic cleft and activates receptors on the postsynaptic membrane of the target cell. The target may be a dendrite, cell body, or axon of another neuron, or a specialized region of a muscle or secretory cell. Neurons may also communicate via direct electrical coupling with ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Several other non-synaptic chemical or electric signal transmitting processes occur via extracellular mediated interactions.	Synapse