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Acetylcholine receptor channel imaged in the open state

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Abstract

The structure of the open-channel form of the acetylcholine receptor has been determined from electron images of Torpedo ray postsynaptic membranes activated by brief (<5ms) mixing with droplets containing acetylcholine. Comparison with the closed-channel form shows that acetylcholine initiates small rotations of the subunits in the extracellular domain, which trigger a change in configuration of α-helices lining the membrane-spanning pore. The open pore tapers towards the intracellular membrane face, where it is shaped by a 'barrel' of α-helices having a pronounced right-handed twist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH, UK

    Nigel Unwin

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  1. Nigel Unwin
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Unwin, N. Acetylcholine receptor channel imaged in the open state. Nature 373, 37–43 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/373037a0

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