Antibodies against preselected peptides to map functional sites on the acetylcholine receptor

Abstract
Rabbit immune sera and mouse monoclonal antibodies were raised against the synthetic peptide Tyr-Cys-Glu-Ile-Ile-Val matching in sequence residues 127–132 of the α-subunit of all nicotinic acetylcholine receptors sequenced so far. Representative cholinergic ligands did not interfere with the binding of these antibodies to the receptor from Torpedo marmorala, indicating that this sequence is not part of the binding sites for cholinergic ligands. The applicability of antigenic sites analysis to the mapping of functional sites on receptor proteins is discussed