Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1986 May;83(10):3171-4.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.10.3171.

Binding of thymopoietin to the acetylcholine receptor

K Venkatasubramanian, T Audhya, G Goldstein

Binding of thymopoietin to the acetylcholine receptor

K Venkatasubramanian et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 May.

Retraction in

  • Notice of retraction.
    Venkatasubramanian K, Audhya T, Goldstein G, Revah F, Mulle C, Pinset C, Changeux JP, Quik M, Babu U. Venkatasubramanian K, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Nov 1;90(21):10409. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.21.10409-b. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993. PMID: 8234308 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Thymopoietin is a polypeptide hormone of the thymus with physiological effects on the immune system and on acetylcholine-mediated transmission at the neuromuscular synapse. Elucidation of the structure and function of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor has been facilitated by the use of the electric organs of Torpedo ray or Electrophorus eel as rich sources of the receptor and by the use of snake polypeptide toxins such as alpha-bungarotoxin as highly selective labels of the acetylcholine binding site. We now show that thymopoietin binds with high affinity (Ka approximately equal to 2.5 X 10(9) M-1) to the acetylcholine binding region of the acetylcholine receptor of Torpedo californica, as evidenced by similar and complete inhibition of the binding of radiolabeled thymopoietin or alpha-bungarotoxin by either of these polypeptides. These findings raise intriguing questions concerning the mechanisms whereby alpha-bungarotoxin and the thymopoietin affect acetylcholine receptor function, since these two polypeptides with such similar binding properties have very different functional effects.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1984 Oct;234(1):167-77 - PubMed
    1. Mol Pharmacol. 1966 Sep;2(5):369-92 - PubMed
    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jun;74(6):2541-5 - PubMed
    1. Lancet. 1966 Nov 26;2(7474):1164-7 - PubMed
    1. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1971 Sep 15;183:230-40 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources