Ligand Binding at the 4-4 Agonist-Binding Site of the 42 nAChR Triggers Receptor Activation through a Pre-Activated Conformational State.

ABSTRACT: The α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is the most abundant subtype in the brain and exists in two functional stoichiometries: (α4)3(β2)2 and (α4)2(β2)3. A distinct feature of the (α4)3(β2)2 receptor is the biphasic activation response to the endogenous agonist acetylcholine, where it is activated with high potency and low efficacy when two α4-β2 binding sites are occupied and with low potency/high efficacy when a third α4-α4 binding site is occupied. Further, exogenous ligands can bind to the third α4-α4 binding site and potentiate the activation of the receptor by ACh that is bound at the two α4-β2 sites. We propose that perturbations of the recently described pre-activation step when a third binding site is occupied are a key driver of these distinct activation properties. To

SUBMITTER: Indurthi DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4995024 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature