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The effects of reducing and alkylating agents on the acetylcholine receptor activity of frog sartorius muscle

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Summary

Exposure of frog sartorius muscle to the disulfide bond reducing agent, dithiothreitol, caused a decrease in the apparent affinity of their acetylcholine receptors for some agonists. Exposure to the oxidizing agent K3Fe(CN)6 reversed this effect. After reduction, the response to agonists was irreversibly blocked by exposure of the muscles to N-ethyl maleimide or 4-(N′-maleimido)phenyltrimethylammonium. However, contrary to what had been observed with electroplax, the blocking reaction did not occur at the acetylcholine binding site of the receptor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, 92037, La Jolla, California

    J. M. Lindstrom, S. J. Singer & E. S. Lennox

  2. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 92112, San Diego, California

    J. M. Lindstrom, S. J. Singer & E. S. Lennox

Authors
  1. J. M. Lindstrom
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  2. S. J. Singer
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  3. E. S. Lennox
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Additional information

This work is taken from a thesis presented by J. M. Lindstrom in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph. D. degree in Biology, University of California, June 1971.

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Lindstrom, J.M., Singer, S.J. & Lennox, E.S. The effects of reducing and alkylating agents on the acetylcholine receptor activity of frog sartorius muscle. J. Membrain Biol. 11, 217–226 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01869823

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01869823

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