Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cholinergic Receptors: Nicotinic01:15

Cholinergic Receptors: Nicotinic

Nicotinic receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that are activated by acetylcholine and nicotine. Upon activation, they cause a rapid increase in the permeability of cells to K+, Na+, and Ca2+, followed by depolarization and excitation. They are in the autonomic ganglia, skeletal neuromuscular junction, CNS, and adrenal medulla.
There are two types of nicotinic receptors: neuromuscular (NM/NM/N1) and neuronal (NN/NN/N2). The two families differ based on their location and selectivity to...
Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia: Stimulants01:23

Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia: Stimulants


Ganglionic stimulants activate NM nicotinic receptors in autonomic ganglia, falling into two categories: nicotine mimetics [e.g., lobeline, dimethylpiperazine, tetramethylammonium] and muscarinic receptor agonists [e.g., muscarine, methacholine]. The first category's action is rapid and blocked by nicotinic receptor antagonists, while the second category's action is delayed and blocked by atropine-like agents. Nicotine, an alkaloid, affects the heart rate by stimulating sympathetic or...
Drug-Receptor Interaction: Agonist01:25

Drug-Receptor Interaction: Agonist

Agonists are drugs that interact with specific receptors in the body to produce a biological response. When an agonist binds to a receptor, it activates or enhances the receptor's function, leading to physiological effects. The interaction between agonist drugs and receptors is crucial for their therapeutic action in various medical treatments.
Agonists can bind to receptors in different ways. Some agonists bind directly to the receptor's active site, mimicking the endogenous ligand's action.
Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors01:30

Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors

G Protein–Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to various stimuli. GPCRs regulate critical physiological pathways and are excellent drug targets for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, or Alzheimer's. Nearly 35% of approved drugs implement their therapeutic effects by selectively interacting with specific GPCRs.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or...
The Two-State Receptor Model01:29

The Two-State Receptor Model

The two-state receptor model explains a drug's interaction with receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors and ligand-gated ion channels, to induce or inhibit a biological response. When no natural ligands are present, a receptor exists in an equilibrium of inactive (Ri) and active (Ra) conformations. The inactive form does not produce a response, while the active form generates a basal effect known as constitutive activity.
The binding affinity of a drug determines its interaction with one...
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors01:31

Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors

Nuclear receptors, or NRs, are unique transcription factors that regulate gene transcription and affect the cellular pathways involved in reproduction, development, or metabolism. Their ability to be stimulated by small lipophilic ligands and control vital cellular processes makes them ideal drug targets. Nearly 10-15% of currently prescribed drugs target these receptors.
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Building Molecules by a Self-Replicator That Catalyzes Acyl Hydrazone Formation.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Departure from randomness: Evolution of self-replicators that can self-sort through steric zipper formation.

Chem·2025
Same author

Covalent Dynamic DNA Networks to Translate Multiple Inputs into Programmable Outputs.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Competitive exclusion among self-replicating molecules curtails the tendency of chemistry to diversify.

Nature chemistry·2024
Same author

Simultaneous Formation of a Foldamer and a Self-Replicator by Out-of-Equilibrium Dynamic Covalent Chemistry.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2024
Same author

Light-Mediated Interconversion between a Foldamer and a Self-Replicator.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Spectral Confocal Imaging of Fluorescently tagged Nicotinic Receptors in Knock-in Mice with Chronic Nicotine Administration
08:47

Spectral Confocal Imaging of Fluorescently tagged Nicotinic Receptors in Knock-in Mice with Chronic Nicotine Administration

Published on: February 10, 2012

A synthetic receptor for nicotine from a dynamic combinatorial library.

Saleh Hamieh1, R Frederick Ludlow, Olivier Perraud

  • 1Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.

Organic Letters
|October 17, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a novel synthetic receptor capable of binding nicotine in water. This receptor utilizes hydrophobic and pi-pi interactions, overcoming challenges in aqueous solution binding for biologically relevant molecules.

More Related Videos

Probing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices via Laser Flash Photolysis of Photoactivatable Nicotine
10:48

Probing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices via Laser Flash Photolysis of Photoactivatable Nicotine

Published on: January 25, 2019

Localization of Plasma Membrane and Intracellular Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Using Quantitative Imaging in Mammalian Cells
09:06

Localization of Plasma Membrane and Intracellular Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Using Quantitative Imaging in Mammalian Cells

Published on: December 19, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Spectral Confocal Imaging of Fluorescently tagged Nicotinic Receptors in Knock-in Mice with Chronic Nicotine Administration
08:47

Spectral Confocal Imaging of Fluorescently tagged Nicotinic Receptors in Knock-in Mice with Chronic Nicotine Administration

Published on: February 10, 2012

Probing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices via Laser Flash Photolysis of Photoactivatable Nicotine
10:48

Probing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices via Laser Flash Photolysis of Photoactivatable Nicotine

Published on: January 25, 2019

Localization of Plasma Membrane and Intracellular Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Using Quantitative Imaging in Mammalian Cells
09:06

Localization of Plasma Membrane and Intracellular Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Using Quantitative Imaging in Mammalian Cells

Published on: December 19, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Chemical Biology
  • Synthetic Chemistry

Background:

  • Designing synthetic receptors for biological molecules in water is difficult.
  • Binding in aqueous solutions requires specific molecular interactions.
  • Nicotine is a biologically relevant guest molecule.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel synthetic receptor for nicotine.
  • To achieve selective binding of nicotine in aqueous solution.
  • To explore binding mechanisms in water at neutral pH.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a dynamic combinatorial library approach.
  • Screened for receptors with high affinity for nicotine.
  • Characterized binding interactions using spectroscopic and computational methods.

Main Results:

  • Successfully designed and selected a synthetic receptor for nicotine.
  • Demonstrated effective binding of nicotine in water at neutral pH.
  • Identified hydrophobic and π-π interactions as key binding forces.

Conclusions:

  • The new synthetic receptor effectively binds nicotine in aqueous environments.
  • Dynamic combinatorial chemistry is a viable strategy for designing receptors in water.
  • The findings advance the design of synthetic receptors for biologically relevant guests.