Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases
Published on: March 28, 2011
Tubular crystals of acetylcholine receptor
Abstract:
Well-ordered tubular crystals of acetylcholine receptor were obtained from suspensions of Torpedo marmorata receptor-rich vesicles. They are composed of pairs of oppositely oriented molecules arranged on the surface lattice with the symmetry of the plane group p2 (average unit cell dimensions: a = 90 A, b = 162 A, gamma = 117 degrees). The receptor in this lattice has an asymmetric distribution of mass around its perimeter, yet a regular pentagonal shape; thus its five transmembrane subunits appear to have different lengths, but approximately equal cross sections. The tubes grow by lateral aggregation on the vesicle surface of ribbons of the paired molecules. Both ribbons and tubes were sensitive to dispersal by the disulphide reductant, dithiothreitol. This observation and other evidence suggest that the basic pairing interaction in the tubes may be that of the physiological dimer, involving contact between delta-subunits.
More Related Videos
11:57Using an α-Bungarotoxin Binding Site Tag to Study GABA A Receptor Membrane Localization and Trafficking
Published on: March 28, 2014
09:06Localization of Plasma Membrane and Intracellular Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Using Quantitative Imaging in Mammalian Cells
Published on: December 19, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Muscle Contraction
Muscle Contraction
Cholinergic Neurons: Neurotransmission
Cholinergic Receptors: Muscarinic
The subtypes M1, M3, and M5 couple with the Gq subunit and activate the phospholipase C (PLC) activity, mobilizing intracellular Ca2+. Activation...
Cholinergic Receptors: Nicotinic
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...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
The direct-acting...