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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Construction of Model Lipid Membranes Incorporating G-protein Coupled Receptors GPCRs
Published on: February 5, 2022
Molecular mechanisms of acetylcholine receptor-lipid interactions: from model membranes to human biology
John E Baenziger1, Corrie J B daCosta2
1Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada. jebaenz@uottawa.ca.
Abstract:
Lipids are potent modulators of the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Lipids influence nicotinic receptor function by allosteric mechanisms, stabilizing varying proportions of pre-existing resting, open, desensitized, and uncoupled conformations. Recent structures reveal that lipids could alter function by modulating transmembrane α-helix/α-helix packing, which in turn could alter the conformation of the allosteric interface that links the agonist-binding and transmembrane pore domains-this interface is essential in the coupling of agonist binding to channel gating. We discuss potential mechanisms by which lipids stabilize different conformational states in the context of the hypothesis that lipid-nicotinic receptor interactions modulate receptor function at biological synapses.
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