8 - Ligand-gated Flashcards
Ligand-gated ion channel receptors (LGICs) mediate _______ responses
Ligand-gated ion channel receptors (LGICs) mediate fast synaptic responses
Some LGICs are ______-selective while others are ______-selective
Some LGICs are Anion-selective while others are Cation-selective
In LGIC’s the receptor and channel are:
a part of the same receptor complex
LGIC receptors are ______, ______ proteins
LGIC receptors are large, multisubunit proteins (oligomers)
What are three examples of LGICs
- Peripheral nAChR (nicotinic receptors)
- GABAA receptor
- Glutamate receptors
- NMDA, AMPA, Kainate
Function of LGICs
- Mediate fast synaptic responses
- Essential for rapid communication within nervous system
- Activation can happen in submillisecond timescale
- Always an increase in membrane conductance
- Ions flow down their concentration gradient
Receptors _______ in continued presence of agonist
Receptors desensitize in continued presence of agonist
Transmitter action is ended with ______, _______ and/or ______ of transmitter
Transmitter action is ended with destruction, diffusion and/or reuptake of transmitter
Two reasons why nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are so well studied:
- Abundant in the electric organs of the torpedo fish
- Availability of a high affinity probe: the snake toxin alphabungarotoxin
The peripheral nAChR is a ______ of four _______ subunits
The peripheral nAChR is a pentamer of four homologous subunits (alpha2beta-gamma-delta)
The peripheral nAChR has ____ alpha subunits with a total of ___ subunits
The peripheral nAChR has 2 alpha subunits with a total of 5 subunits
Subunits of the peripheral nAChR form a ______ complex around the central ion ____
Subunits of the peripheral nAChR form a pseudosymmetric complex around the central ion pore
Functional properties of nAChR
Release of ACh leads to binding to the _____ which has what effect on the channel
Functional properties of nAChR
Release of ACh leads to binding to the nAChR which opens the nAChR within about 0.3msec
The nAChR is much more likely to open if what happens?
Positive Cooperativity: ACh molecules bind to each of the two binding sites
The nAChR channel is ______-selective with a diameter of _____
The nAChR channel is cation-selective with a diameter of 0.65nm
Synaptic transmission is normally terminated by the action of _______
Synaptic transmission is normally terminated by the action of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)
What happens to the nAChR in the continued presense of ACh?
The receptor becomes desensitized
Channel closes and the receptor adopts a conformation with a high affinity for ACh
Agonist must unbind and the receptor must rest to return to activatable conformation
What is the difference between muscle nAChRs in adults and embryos?
Subunits?
Conductance?
Burst duration?
- Adult junctional receptor
- alpha2-beta-epsilon-delta subunits
- Large conductance (60ps)
- Short burst duration
- Embryonic and denervated
- alpha2-beta-gamma-delta subunits
- lower conductance (40ps)
- Longer burst duration
Neuronal nAChRs
- subunits
- blocked by:
- stoichiometry alphanbetam
- blocked by k-bungarotoxin
How are chimeric receptors constructed?
By inserting the amino acid sequence of one receptor into the corresponding region of another
OR
by substituting subunits from other organisms (eg mouse vs torpedo)
What is possible if we characterise the properties of the chimera receptor?
By characterising the properties of the chimera it is possible to explore the functional importance of different parts of the protein or (as here) oligomer
___ subunits are important in conferring nAChR channel properties
delta subunits are important in conferring channel properties
Which receptor is the major inhibitory LGIC in the CNS?
GABAA
GABA causes __________ potential
fast inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
What are two GABAA agonists?
GABA, muscimol
What is one antagonist to the GABAA receptor
Bicuculline