The effect of agrin and laminin on acetylcholine receptor dynamics in vitro

Using optical imaging assays, we investigated the dynamics of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at laminin-associated clusters on cultured myotubes in the absence or presence of the nerve-derived clustering factor, agrin. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) on fluorescent bungarotoxin-labeled receptors, we found that approximately 9% of original fluorescence was recovered after 8 h as surface AChRs were recruited into clusters. By quantifying the loss of labeled receptors and the recovery of fluorescence after photobleaching, we estimated that the half-life of clustered receptors was approximately 4.5 h. Despite the rapid removal of receptors, the accumulation of new receptors at clusters was robust enough to maintain receptor density over time. We also found that the AChR half-life was not affected by agrin despite its role in inducing the aggregation of AChRs. Interestingly, when agrin was added to myotubes grown on laminin-coated substrates, most new receptors were not directed into preexisting laminin-induced clusters but instead formed numerous small aggregates on the entire muscle surface. Time-lapse imaging revealed that the agrin-induced clusters could be seen as early as 1 h, and agrin treatment resulted in the complete dissipation of laminin-associated clusters by 24 h. These results reveal that while laminin and agrin are involved in the clustering of receptors they are not critical to the regulation of receptor metabolic stability at these clusters, and further argue that agrin is able to rapidly and fully negate the laminin substrate clustering effect while inducing the rapid formation of new clusters.