Acetylcholine Receptor: Complex of Homologous Subunits

The acetylcholine receptor from the electric ray Torpedo californica is composed of five subunits; two are identical and the other three are structurally related to them. Microsequence analysis of the four polypeptides demonstrates amino acid homology among the subunits. Further sequence analysis of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1980-06, Vol.208 (4451), p.1454-1457
Main Authors: Raftery, Michael A., Hunkapiller, Michael W., Strader, Catherine D., Hood, Leroy E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylcholine - metabolism
Amino Acid Sequence
Amino acids
Animals
Biochemistry
Cell membranes
Chemical composition
Cholinergic receptors
Electric Organ - analysis
Fishes
Macromolecular Substances
Molecular Weight
Molecules
P branes
Protein Conformation
Receptors
Receptors, Cholinergic
Stoichiometry
String theory
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Summary:The acetylcholine receptor from the electric ray Torpedo californica is composed of five subunits; two are identical and the other three are structurally related to them. Microsequence analysis of the four polypeptides demonstrates amino acid homology among the subunits. Further sequence analysis of both membrane-bound and Triton-solubilized, chromatographically purified receptor gave the stoichiometry of the four subunits (40,000:50,000:60,000:65,000 daltons) as 2:1:1:1, indicating that this protein is a pentameric complex with a molecular weight of 255,000 daltons. Genealogical analysis suggests that divergence from a common ancestral gene occurred early in the evolution of the receptor. This shared ancestry argues that each of the four subunits plays a functional role in the receptor's physiological action.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.7384786