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Acetylcholine

Nicotine

Acetylcholine receptor (nicotinic) from electric torpedo rays (very similar to human receptor) is made of 5 subunit, 2 of which (shown in orange) binds to ACh (red) (PDB code: 2bg9) (more details...)

Acetylcholine receptor blocked by cobra venom (PDB code: 1yi5). A similar effect can be achieved by high doses of curare or nicotine (more details...)

'Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors', or 'nAChRs', are ionotropic receptors that form ligand gated ion channels in cells' plasma membranes. Like the other type of acetylcholine receptors, muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), their opening is triggered by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), but they are also opened by nicotine.^[1][2] Also in contrast to muscarinic ACh receptors, nicotinic receptors do not operate with a second messenger, but open themselves forming an ion channel. Their action is inhibited by curare.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are present in many tissues in the body. The neuronal receptors are found in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The neuromuscular receptors are found in the neuromuscular junctions of somatic muscles; stimulation of these receptors causes muscular contraction.

Contents

Structure

Opening the channel

Effects

Roles

Subunits

References

External links

Structure

Nicotinic receptors, with a molecular weight of about 280 kDa, are made up of five receptor subunits, arranged symmetrically around the central pore. They share similarities with GABA_A receptors, glycine receptors, and the type 3 serotonin receptors, which are all therefore classed into the