Biomaterial Database

Subunit structure of the acetylcholine receptor from Electrophorus electricus. 1982

B M Conti-Tronconi, and M W Hunkapiller, and J M Lindstrom, and M A Raftery

The amino-terminal amino acid sequences of the four major peptides (Mr 41,000, 50,000, 55,000, and 62,000) present in purified preparations of Electrophorus electricus nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AcChoR) have been determined for 24 cycles by automated sequence analysis procedures yielding four unique polypeptide sequences. The sequences showed a high degree of similarity, having identical residues in a number of positions ranging between 37% and 50% for specific pairs of subunits. Comparison of the sequences obtained with those of the subunits of similar molecular weight from Torpedo californica AcChoR revealed an even higher degree of homology (from 46% to 71%) for these two highly diverged species. Simultaneous sequence analysis of the amino termini present in native, purified Electrophorus AcChoR showed that these four related sequences were the only ones present and that they occur in a ratio of 2:1:1:1, with the smallest subunit ("alpha 1") being present in two copies. Genealogical analysis suggests that the subunits of both Torpedo and Electrophorus AcChoRs derive from a common ancestral gene, the divergence having occurred early in the evolution of the receptor. This shared ancestry and the very early divergence of the four subunits, as well as the highly conserved structure of the AcChoR complex along animal evolution, suggest that each of the subunits evolved to perform discrete crucial roles in the physiological function of the AcChoR.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
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
D004593	Electrophorus	A genus of fish, in the family GYMNOTIFORMES, capable of producing an electric shock that immobilizes fish and other prey. The species Electrophorus electricus is also known as the electric eel, though it is not a true eel.	Eel, Electric,Electric Eel,Electrophorus electricus
D005075	Biological Evolution	The process of cumulative change over successive generations through which organisms acquire their distinguishing morphological and physiological characteristics.	Evolution, Biological
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
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
D014101	Torpedo	A genus of the Torpedinidae family consisting of several species. Members of this family have powerful electric organs and are commonly called electric rays.	Electric Rays,Torpedinidae,Rays, Electric
D046911	Macromolecular Substances	Compounds and molecular complexes that consist of very large numbers of atoms and are generally over 500 kDa in size. In biological systems macromolecular substances usually can be visualized using ELECTRON MICROSCOPY and are distinguished from ORGANELLES by the lack of a membrane structure.	Macromolecular Complexes,Macromolecular Compounds,Macromolecular Compounds and Complexes,Complexes, Macromolecular,Compounds, Macromolecular,Substances, Macromolecular