The role of intracellular linkers in gating and desensitization of human pentameric ligand-gated ion channels.

ABSTRACT: It has recently been proposed that post-translational modification of not only the M3-M4 linker but also the M1-M2 linker of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels modulates function in vivo. To estimate the involvement of the M1-M2 linker in gating and desensitization, we engineered a series of mutations to this linker of the human adult-muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR), the α3β4 AChR and the homomeric α1 glycine receptor (GlyR). All tested M1-M2 linker mutations had little effect on the kinetics of deactivation or desensitization compared with the effects of mutations to the M2 α-helix or the extracellular M2-M3 linker. However, when the effects of mutations were assessed with 50 Hz trains of ∼1 ms pulses of saturating neurotransmitter, some mutations led to much more, and others to mu

SUBMITTER: Papke D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4028499 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature