A novel labeling approach identifies three stability levels of acetylcholine receptors in the mouse neuromuscular junction in vivo.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The turnover of acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction is regulated in an activity-dependent manner. Upon denervation and under various other pathological conditions, receptor half-life is decreased.

Methodology/principal findings

We demonstrate a novel approach to follow the kinetics of acetylcholine receptor lifetimes upon pulse labeling of mouse muscles with ¹²⁵I-α-bungarotoxin in vivo. In contrast to previous assays where residual activity was measured ex vivo, in our setup the same animals are used throughout the whole measurement period, thereby permitting a dramatic reduction of animal numbers at increased data quality. We identified three stability levels of acetylcholine receptors depending on the presence or absence of innervation: one poo

SUBMITTER: Strack S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3107218 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature