RESUMO
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor plays critical roles in the central nervous system and in the cholinergic inflammatory pathway. This ligand-gated ion channel assembles as a homopentamer, is exceptionally permeable to Ca2+, and desensitizes faster than any other Cys-loop receptor. The α7 receptor has served as a prototype for the Cys-loop superfamily yet has proven refractory to structural analysis. We present cryo-EM structures of the human α7 nicotinic receptor in a lipidic environment in resting, activated, and desensitized states, illuminating the principal steps in the gating cycle. The structures also reveal elements that contribute to its function, including a C-terminal latch that is permissive for channel opening, and an anionic ring in the extracellular vestibule that contributes to its high conductance and calcium permeability. Comparisons among the α7 structures provide a foundation for mapping the gating cycle and reveal divergence in gating mechanisms in the Cys-loop receptor superfamily.
Assuntos
Receptor Nicotínico de Acetilcolina alfa7/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sítios de Ligação , Bungarotoxinas/química , Bungarotoxinas/metabolismo , Cálcio/metabolismo , Membrana Celular/química , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Vesículas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Simulação de Dinâmica Molecular , Mutagênese Sítio-Dirigida , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Domínios Proteicos , Proteínas Recombinantes/biossíntese , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/isolamento & purificação , Receptor Nicotínico de Acetilcolina alfa7/química , Receptor Nicotínico de Acetilcolina alfa7/genéticaRESUMO
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are pentameric ion channels that mediate fast chemical neurotransmission. The α3ß4 nicotinic receptor subtype forms the principal relay between the central and peripheral nervous systems in the autonomic ganglia. This receptor is also expressed focally in brain areas that affect reward circuits and addiction. Here, we present structures of the α3ß4 nicotinic receptor in lipidic and detergent environments, using functional reconstitution to define lipids appropriate for structural analysis. The structures of the receptor in complex with nicotine, as well as the α3ß4-selective ligand AT-1001, complemented by molecular dynamics, suggest principles of agonist selectivity. The structures further reveal much of the architecture of the intracellular domain, where mutagenesis experiments and simulations define residues governing ion conductance.
