Immunochemical and Pharmacological Distinctions Between Curaremimetic Neurotoxin Binding Sites of Central, Autonomic, and Peripheral Origin

Comparative pharmacological and immunochemical studies were conducted on alpha-bungarotoxin binding sites from rat brain or muscle, Torpedo electric tissue, or the TE671 or PC12 clonal cell lines. Characteristic distinctions were observed in the pharmacological profile of drugs competing for toxin binding to different tissues. Differences also were found in the proportion of toxin binding sites (membrane-bound or detergent-solubilized) that are immunologically reactive with either monoclonal antibodies directed against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from the electric organ of Torpedo or polyclonal antisera raised against nicotinic receptors from the electric organ of Electrophorus. These results suggest that toxin binding sites are structurally heterogeneous. Structural heterogeneity of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, neurotoxin binding sites, or both, may contribute to the manifestation of nicotinic receptor functional heterogeneity and may explain the apparent discrepancy at some sites between toxin binding activity and toxin functional potency.