Biomaterial Database

Accessibility to antibodies of acetylcholine receptors in the neuromuscular junction. 1976

A D Zurn, and B W Fulpius

Antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor are present in the serum of myasthenic patients but one does not know if, in vivo and in situ, they can penetrate the intact neuromuscular junction and block directly the receptor. The present experiments demonstrate that molecules the size of antibodies can reach acetylcholine receptor in situ. The mouse diaphragm with its intact neuromuscular junction was used as a source of acetylcholine receptor. The receptor was revealed either directly by iodinated alpha-bungarotoxin covalently coupled to IgG or indirectly, once labelled with cobra toxin, by iodinated anti-cobra toxin antibodies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007074	Immunoglobulin G	The major immunoglobulin isotype class in normal human serum. There are several isotype subclasses of IgG, for example, IgG1, IgG2A, and IgG2B.	Gamma Globulin, 7S,IgG,IgG Antibody,Allerglobuline,IgG(T),IgG1,IgG2,IgG2A,IgG2B,IgG3,IgG4,Immunoglobulin GT,Polyglobin,7S Gamma Globulin,Antibody, IgG,GT, Immunoglobulin
D007075	Immunoglobulin M	A class of immunoglobulin bearing mu chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN MU-CHAINS). IgM can fix COMPLEMENT. The name comes from its high molecular weight and originally was called a macroglobulin.	Gamma Globulin, 19S,IgM,IgM Antibody,IgM1,IgM2,19S Gamma Globulin,Antibody, IgM
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009157	Myasthenia Gravis	A disorder of neuromuscular transmission characterized by fatigable weakness of cranial and skeletal muscles with elevated titers of ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS or muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) autoantibodies. Clinical manifestations may include ocular muscle weakness (fluctuating, asymmetric, external ophthalmoplegia; diplopia; ptosis; and weakness of eye closure) and extraocular fatigable weakness of facial, bulbar, respiratory, and proximal limb muscles. The disease may remain limited to the ocular muscles (ocular myasthenia). THYMOMA is commonly associated with this condition.	Anti-MuSK Myasthenia Gravis,MuSK MG,MuSK Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle-Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle-Specific Tyrosine Kinase Antibody Positive Myasthenia Gravis,Myasthenia Gravis, Generalized,Myasthenia Gravis, Ocular,Anti MuSK Myasthenia Gravis,Generalized Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle Specific Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Myasthenia Gravis,Muscle Specific Tyrosine Kinase Antibody Positive Myasthenia Gravis,Myasthenia Gravis, Anti-MuSK,Myasthenia Gravis, MuSK,Ocular Myasthenia Gravis
D009469	Neuromuscular Junction	The synapse between a neuron and a muscle.	Myoneural Junction,Nerve-Muscle Preparation,Junction, Myoneural,Junction, Neuromuscular,Junctions, Myoneural,Junctions, Neuromuscular,Myoneural Junctions,Nerve Muscle Preparation,Nerve-Muscle Preparations,Neuromuscular Junctions,Preparation, Nerve-Muscle,Preparations, Nerve-Muscle
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
D002038	Bungarotoxins	Neurotoxic proteins from the venom of the banded or Formosan krait (Bungarus multicinctus, an elapid snake). alpha-Bungarotoxin blocks nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and has been used to isolate and study them; beta- and gamma-bungarotoxins act presynaptically causing acetylcholine release and depletion. Both alpha and beta forms have been characterized, the alpha being similar to the large, long or Type II neurotoxins from other elapid venoms.	alpha-Bungarotoxin,beta-Bungarotoxin,kappa-Bungarotoxin,alpha Bungarotoxin,beta Bungarotoxin,kappa Bungarotoxin
D003964	Diaphragm	The musculofibrous partition that separates the THORACIC CAVITY from the ABDOMINAL CAVITY. Contraction of the diaphragm increases the volume of the thoracic cavity aiding INHALATION.	Respiratory Diaphragm,Diaphragm, Respiratory,Diaphragms,Diaphragms, Respiratory,Respiratory Diaphragms
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
D000906	Antibodies	Immunoglobulin molecules having a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which they interact only with the ANTIGEN (or a very similar shape) that induced their synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially PLASMA CELLS).