The acetylcholine receptor: its molecular biology and biotechnological prospects.

The structure and behaviour of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is described, and the evidence that it is an allosteric protein is discussed. The genes for the AChR subunits are subject to a complex set of spatio-temporal transcriptional controls during development of the motor endplate, and these findings are reviewed here. Finally, the biotechnological prospects suggested by the new data are noted.