Comparison of the subunit structure of acetylcholine receptors from muscle and electric organ of Electrophorus electricus.

The acetylcholine receptors of the electric organ and muscle tissues of Electrophorus electricus are composed of alpha, beta, gamma, and delta subunits. Receptor subunits from the two tissues were compared by peptide mapping with monoclonal antibodies, an affinity-labeling reagent, and a lectin to characterize particular peptide fragments. These experiments indicate that the corresponding receptor subunits from the two tissues are extensively homologous or identical throughout their amino acid sequences. Small differences in the electrophoresis of peptide fragments of alpha subunits between the two tissues occurred on fragments which bound labeled lectin. These results suggest that the acetylcholine receptors in electric organ and muscle tissues of Electrophorus differ in structure only by minor posttranslational modifications perhaps involving carbohydrate.