Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor
Encyclopedia
Muscarinic receptors, or mAChRs, are acetylcholine receptor
Acetylcholine receptor
An acetylcholine receptor is an integral membrane protein that responds to the binding of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.-Classification:...

s that form G protein-coupled
G protein-coupled receptor
G protein-coupled receptors , also known as seven-transmembrane domain receptors, 7TM receptors, heptahelical receptors, serpentine receptor, and G protein-linked receptors , comprise a large protein family of transmembrane receptors that sense molecules outside the cell and activate inside signal...

 in the plasma membranes of certain neurons and other cell
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....

s. They play several roles, including acting as the main end-receptor stimulated by acetylcholine
Acetylcholine
The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

 released from postganglionic fibers
Postganglionic fibers
In the autonomic nervous system, fibers from the ganglion to the effector organ are called postganglionic fibers.-Neurotransmitters:The neurotransmitters used for postganglionic fibers differ:...

 in the parasympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system . The ANS is responsible for regulation of internal organs and glands, which occurs unconsciously...

.

Muscarinic receptors were named as such because they are more sensitive to muscarine
Muscarine
Muscarine, L--muscarine, or muscarin is a natural product found in certain mushrooms, particularly in Inocybe and Clitocybe species, such as the deadly C. dealbata. Mushrooms in the genera Entoloma and Mycena have also been found to contain levels of muscarine which can be dangerous if ingested...

 than to nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...

. Their counterparts are nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs, are cholinergic receptors that form ligand-gated ion channels in the plasma membranes of certain neurons and on the postsynaptic side of the neuromuscular junction...

s (nAChRs), receptor ion channels that are also important in the autonomic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system is the part of the peripheral nervous system that acts as a control system functioning largely below the level of consciousness, and controls visceral functions. The ANS affects heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, diameter of the pupils,...

. Many drugs and other substances (for example pilocarpine
Pilocarpine
Pilocarpine is a parasympathomimetic alkaloid obtained from the leaves of tropical American shrubs from the genus Pilocarpus. It is a non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist in the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts therapeutically at the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 due to its...

 and scopolamine
Scopolamine
Scopolamine, also known as levo-duboisine, and hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug with muscarinic antagonist effects. It is among the secondary metabolites of plants from Solanaceae family of plants, such as henbane, jimson weed and Angel's Trumpets , and corkwood...

) manipulate these two distinct receptors by acting as selective agonist
Agonist
An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...

s or antagonist
Receptor antagonist
A receptor antagonist is a type of receptor ligand or drug that does not provoke a biological response itself upon binding to a receptor, but blocks or dampens agonist-mediated responses...

s.

Function

Acetylcholine (ACh)
Acetylcholine
The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

 is a neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...

 found extensively in the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

 and autonomic nervous system and it is the only neurotransmitter used at the neuromuscular junction
Neuromuscular junction
A neuromuscular junction is the synapse or junction of the axon terminal of a motor neuron with the motor end plate, the highly-excitable region of muscle fiber plasma membrane responsible for initiation of action potentials across the muscle's surface, ultimately causing the muscle to contract...

.
Muscarinic receptors are used in the following roles:

Recovery receptors

ACh
Acetylcholine
The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

 is always used as the transmitter within the autonomic ganglion
Autonomic ganglion
Autonomic ganglia are clusters of neuronal cell bodies and their dendrites and are essentially a junction between autonomic nerves originating from the central nervous system and autonomic nerves innervating their target organs in the periphery....

. Nicotinic receptors on the postganglionic neuron are responsible for the initial fast depolarization (Fast EPSP) of that neuron. As a consequence of this, nicotinic receptors are often cited as the receptor on the postganglionic neurons at the ganglion. However, the subsequent hyperpolarization (IPSP) and slow depolarization (Slow EPSP) that represent the recovery of the postganglionic neuron from stimulation are actually mediated by muscarinic receptors, types M2 and M1 respectively (discussed below).

Peripheral autonomic fibers (sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers) are categorized anatomically as either preganglionic or postganglionic fibers, then further generalized as either adrenergic fibers with their corresponding adrenergic receptors, or cholinergic fibers with their cholinergic receptors. Both preganglionic sympathetic fibers and preganglionic parasympathetic fibers are cholinergic. All postganglionic sympathetic fibers are adrenergic; their neurotransmitter is norepinephrine, except for the postganglionic sympathetic fibers to the sweat glands, piloerectile muscles of the body hairs and the skeletal muscle arterioles.

The adrenal medulla is considered a sympathetic ganglion and like other sympathetic ganglia, is supplied by cholinergic preganglionic sympathetic fibers; acetylcholine is its neurotransmitter. The other postganglionic fibers of the peripheral autonomic system belong to the parasympathetic division; all are cholinergic fibers, and use acetylcholine (ACh) as their neurotransmitter.

ACh has two types of effects. The first type is termed muscarinic, which is the parasympathetic effect on the secretory exocrine glands, and on smooth and cardiac muscles through their corresponding receptors. The other type of ACh effect is termed nicotinic, which is on the skeletal (voluntary) muscles; it is not considered to be part of the peripheral autonomic nervous system.

Postganglionic neurons

Another role for these receptors is at the junction of the innervated tissue and the postganglionic neuron in the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. Here acetylcholine is again used as a neurotransmitter, and muscarinic receptors form the principal receptors on the innervated tissue.

Innervated tissue

By contrast, this junction in the sympathetic division mostly does not use acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter; instead, norepinephrine is used. Therefore neither muscarinic nor nicotinic receptors are involved, but adrenergic
Adrenergic receptor
The adrenergic receptors are a class of metabotropic G protein-coupled receptors that are targets of the catecholamines, especially noradrenaline and adrenaline ....

 α1
Alpha-1 adrenergic receptor
The alpha-1 adrenergic receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor associated with the Gq heterotrimeric G-protein. It consists of three highly homologous subtypes, including α1A-, α1B-, and α1D-adrenergic...

 and β1
Beta-1 adrenergic receptor
The beta-1 adrenergic receptor , also known as ADRB1, is a beta-adrenergic receptor, and also denotes the human gene encoding it...

 receptors. Very few parts of the sympathetic system use cholinergic receptors (some postganglionic fibers terminating on sweat glands, which release acetylcholine, and in the kidney, which release dopamine are of the few exceptions). In sweat glands the receptors are of the muscarinic type. The sympathetic nervous system also has some preganglionic nerves terminating at the chromaffin cell
Chromaffin cell
Chromaffin cells are neuroendocrine cells found in the medulla of the adrenal gland and in other ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system. They are modified post-synaptic sympathetic neurons that receive sympathetic input...

s in the adrenal medulla
Adrenal medulla
The adrenal medulla is part of the adrenal gland. It is located at the center of the gland, being surrounded by the adrenal cortex. It is the innermost part of the adrenal gland, consisting of cells that secrete epinephrine , norepinephrine , and a small amount of dopamine in response to...

, which secrete epinephrine
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...

 and norepinephrine
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine is the US name for noradrenaline , a catecholamine with multiple roles including as a hormone and a neurotransmitter...

 into the bloodstream. Some believe that chromaffin cells are modified postganglionic CNS fibers. In the adrenal medulla acetylcholine is used as a neurotransmitter, and the receptor is of the nicotinic type. The somatic nervous system uses acetylcholine at the junction between its one peripheral nerve and the innervated tissue, also of the nicotinic type.

Higher central nervous system

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are also present and distributed throughout the central nervous system, in post-synaptic and pre-synaptic positions. There is also some evidence for postsynaptic receptors on sympathetic neurons allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to inhibit sympathetic effects.

Presynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction

It's now known they also appear on the pre-synaptic membrane of somatic neurons in the neuro-muscular junction, where they are involved in the regulation of acetylcholine release.

Form of muscarinic receptors

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors belong to a class of metabotropic receptor
Metabotropic receptor
Metabotropic receptor is a subtype of membrane receptors at the surface or in vesicles of eukaryotic cells.In the nervous system, based on their structural and functional characteristics, neurotransmitter receptors can be classified into two broad categories: metabotropic and ionotropic receptors...

s that use G protein
G protein
G proteins are a family of proteins involved in transmitting chemical signals outside the cell, and causing changes inside the cell. They communicate signals from many hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling factors. G protein-coupled receptors are transmembrane receptors...

s as their signalling mechanism. In such receptors, the signaling molecule (the ligand
Ligand
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding between metal and ligand generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs. The nature of metal-ligand bonding can range from...

) binds to a receptor
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...

 that has seven transmembrane regions; in this case, the ligand is ACh. This receptor is bound to intracellular proteins, known as G proteins, which begin the information cascade within the cell.

By contrast, nicotinic receptors use an ion-gated
Ligand-gated ion channel
Ligand-gated ion channels are one type of ionotropic receptor or channel-linked receptor. They are a group of transmembrane ion channels that are opened or closed in response to the binding of a chemical messenger , such as a neurotransmitter.The binding site of endogenous ligands on LGICs...

 mechanism for signaling. In this case, binding of the ligands with the receptor causes an ion channel
Ion channel
Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that help establish and control the small voltage gradient across the plasma membrane of cells by allowing the flow of ions down their electrochemical gradient. They are present in the membranes that surround all biological cells...

 to open, permitting either one or more specific type(s) of ion (e.g., K+, Na+, Ca+2) to diffuse into or out of the cell.

Classification

By the use of selective radioactively-labeled agonist and antagonist substances, five subtypes of muscarinic receptors have been determined, named M1-M5 (using an upper case M and subscript number). For example, the drug pirenzepine
Pirenzepine
Pirenzepine is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, as it reduces gastric acid secretion and reduces muscle spasm. It is in a class of drugs known as muscarinic receptor antagonists - acetylcholine being the neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system which initiates the...

 is a muscarinic antagonist (decreases the effect of ACh), which is much more potent at M1 receptors than it is at other subtypes. The acceptance of the various subtypes has proceeded in numerical order: therefore, sources that recognize only the M1/M2 distinction exist. More recent studies tend to recognize M3 and the most recent M4.

Genetic differences

Meanwhile, geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...

s and molecular biologists have characterised five genes that appear to encode muscarinic receptors, named m1-m5 (lowercase m; no subscript number). The first four code for pharmacologic types M1-M4. The fifth, M5, corresponds to a subtype of receptor that had until recently not been detected pharmacologically. The receptors m1 and m2 were determined based upon partial sequencing of M1 and M2 receptor proteins. The others were found by searching for homology, using bioinformatic techniques.

Difference in G proteins

G proteins contain an alpha-subunit that is critical to the functioning of receptors. These subunits can take a number of forms. There are four broad classes of form of G-protein: Gs, Gi, Gq, and G12/13. Muscarinic receptors vary in the G protein to which they are bound, with some correlation according to receptor type. G proteins are also classified according to their susceptibility to cholera toxin
Cholera toxin
Cholera toxin is a protein complex secreted by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. CTX is responsible for the massive, watery diarrhea characteristic of cholera infection.- Structure :...

 (CTX) and pertussis toxin
Pertussis toxin
Pertussis toxin is a protein-based AB5-type exotoxin produced by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which causes whooping cough. PT is involved in the colonization of the respiratory tract and the establishment of infection...

 (PTX, whooping cough). Gs and some subtypes of Gi (Gαt and Gαg) are susceptible to CTX. Only Gi is susceptible to PTX, with the exception of one subtype of Gi (Gαz) which is immune. Also, only when bound with an agonist, those G proteins normally sensitive to PTX also become susceptible to CTX.

The various G-protein subunits act differently upon secondary messengers, upregulating Phospholipases, downregulating cAMP, and so on.

Because of the strong correlations to muscarinic receptor type, CTX and PTX are useful experimental tools in investigating these receptors.
  • atropine
    Atropine
    Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...

  • dicycloverine
  • tolterodine
    Tolterodine
    Tolterodine is an antimuscarinic drug that is used to treat urinary incontinence.It is marketed by Pfizer in Canada and the United States by its brand name Detrol. In Egypt it is also found under the trade names Tolterodine by Sabaa and Incont L.A...

  • oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin is an anticholinergic medication used to relieve urinary and bladder difficulties, including frequent urination and inability to control urination , by decreasing muscle spasms of the bladder. It competitively antagonizes the M1, M2, and M3 subtypes of the muscarinic acetylcholine...

  • ipratropium
    Ipratropium
    Ipratropium bromide is an anticholinergic drug used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma. It blocks the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs, opening the bronchi...

  • mamba toxin MT3

  • >-
    | M5
    Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M5
    The human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M5 which is encoded by the gene is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily of integral membrane proteins. Binding of the endogenous ligand acetylcholine to the M5 receptor triggers a number of cellular responses such as adenylate cyclase...

    Comparison of types
    Type Gene Function PTX
    Pertussis toxin
    Pertussis toxin is a protein-based AB5-type exotoxin produced by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which causes whooping cough. PT is involved in the colonization of the respiratory tract and the establishment of infection...

    CTX
    Cholera toxin
    Cholera toxin is a protein complex secreted by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. CTX is responsible for the massive, watery diarrhea characteristic of cholera infection.- Structure :...

    Effectors Agonists >-
    | M1
    Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1
    The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 1, is a muscarinic receptor.This receptor is found mediating slow EPSP at the ganglion in the postganglionic nerve, is common in exocrine glands and in the CNS.It is predominantly found bound to G proteins...

    • EPSP
      Excitatory postsynaptic potential
      In neuroscience, an excitatory postsynaptic potential is a temporary depolarization of postsynaptic membrane potential caused by the flow of positively charged ions into the postsynaptic cell as a result of opening of ligand-sensitive channels...

       in autonomic ganglia
    • secretion from salivary gland
      Salivary gland
      The salivary glands in mammals are exocrine glands, glands with ducts, that produce saliva. They also secrete amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose...

      s and stomach
      Stomach
      The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...

    • In CNS
      Central nervous system
      The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

       (memory?)
    no
    (yes)
    no
    (yes)
    Gq
    Gq alpha subunit
    Gq protein or Gq/11 is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C . PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to diacyl glycerol and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway...

     
    (Gi
    Gi alpha subunit
    Gi alpha subunit is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that inhibits the production of cAMP from ATP.- Receptors :The following G protein-coupled receptors couple to the Gi subunit:* Acetylcholine M2 & M4 receptors...

    )
    (Gs
    Gs alpha subunit
    The Gs alpha subunit is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates the cAMP-dependent pathway by activating adenylate cyclase.-Receptors:The G protein-coupled receptors that couple to this kind of G-protein include:...

    ):
    Slow EPSP.
    K+
    Potassium
    Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...

     conductance
  • acetylcholine
    Acetylcholine
    The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

  • oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine is a cholinomimetic that acts as a non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist.Oxotremorine produces ataxia, tremor and spasticity, similar to those symptoms seen in Parkinsonism, and has thus become a research tool in experimental studies aimed at determining more...

  • muscarine
    Muscarine
    Muscarine, L--muscarine, or muscarin is a natural product found in certain mushrooms, particularly in Inocybe and Clitocybe species, such as the deadly C. dealbata. Mushrooms in the genera Entoloma and Mycena have also been found to contain levels of muscarine which can be dangerous if ingested...

  • carbachol
    Carbachol
    Carbachol , also known as carbamylcholine, is a drug that binds and activates the acetylcholine receptor. Thus it is classified as a cholinergic agonist. It is primarily used for various ophthalmic purposes, such as for treating glaucoma, or for use during ophthalmic surgery...

  • McNA343
  • 77-LH-28-1
    77-LH-28-1
    77-LH-28-1 is a recently discovered selective agonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 1 . It is an allosteric agonist, exhibiting over 100-fold specificity for M1 over other muscarinic receptor subtypes. 77-LH-28-1 penetrates the brain by crossing the blood brain barrier and is...


  • atropine
    Atropine
    Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...

  • scopolamine
    Scopolamine
    Scopolamine, also known as levo-duboisine, and hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug with muscarinic antagonist effects. It is among the secondary metabolites of plants from Solanaceae family of plants, such as henbane, jimson weed and Angel's Trumpets , and corkwood...

  • dicycloverine
  • tolterodine
    Tolterodine
    Tolterodine is an antimuscarinic drug that is used to treat urinary incontinence.It is marketed by Pfizer in Canada and the United States by its brand name Detrol. In Egypt it is also found under the trade names Tolterodine by Sabaa and Incont L.A...

  • oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin is an anticholinergic medication used to relieve urinary and bladder difficulties, including frequent urination and inability to control urination , by decreasing muscle spasms of the bladder. It competitively antagonizes the M1, M2, and M3 subtypes of the muscarinic acetylcholine...

  • ipratropium
    Ipratropium
    Ipratropium bromide is an anticholinergic drug used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma. It blocks the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs, opening the bronchi...

  • mamba toxin MT7
  • pirenzepine
    Pirenzepine
    Pirenzepine is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers, as it reduces gastric acid secretion and reduces muscle spasm. It is in a class of drugs known as muscarinic receptor antagonists - acetylcholine being the neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system which initiates the...

  • telenzepine
    Telenzepine
    Telenzepine is an anticholinergic or sympatholytic used in the treatment of peptic ulcers. Telenzepine is atropisomeric, in other words the molecule has a stereogenic C–N-axis in neutral aqueous solution it displays a half-life for racemization of the order of 1000 years. The enantiomers have been...


  • >-
    | M2
    Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2
    The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 2, is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor.-Heart:...

    *slow heart rate
    Heart rate
    Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time, typically expressed as beats per minute . Heart rate can vary as the body's need to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes, such as during exercise or sleep....

    • reduce contractile forces of atrium
    • reduce conduction velocity of AV node
      Atrioventricular node
      The atrioventricular node is a part of the electrical control system of the heart that coordinates heart rate. It electrically connects atrial and ventricular chambers...

    • In CNS
      Central nervous system
      The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

    • homotropic inhibition
    yes no Gi
    Gi alpha subunit
    Gi alpha subunit is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that inhibits the production of cAMP from ATP.- Receptors :The following G protein-coupled receptors couple to the Gi subunit:* Acetylcholine M2 & M4 receptors...

     
    K+
    Potassium
    Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...

     conductance
    Ca2+
    Calcium
    Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...

     conductance
  • acetylcholine
    Acetylcholine
    The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

  • methacholine
  • carbachol
    Carbachol
    Carbachol , also known as carbamylcholine, is a drug that binds and activates the acetylcholine receptor. Thus it is classified as a cholinergic agonist. It is primarily used for various ophthalmic purposes, such as for treating glaucoma, or for use during ophthalmic surgery...

  • oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine is a cholinomimetic that acts as a non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist.Oxotremorine produces ataxia, tremor and spasticity, similar to those symptoms seen in Parkinsonism, and has thus become a research tool in experimental studies aimed at determining more...

  • muscarine
    Muscarine
    Muscarine, L--muscarine, or muscarin is a natural product found in certain mushrooms, particularly in Inocybe and Clitocybe species, such as the deadly C. dealbata. Mushrooms in the genera Entoloma and Mycena have also been found to contain levels of muscarine which can be dangerous if ingested...


  • atropine
    Atropine
    Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...

  • dicycloverine
  • tolterodine
    Tolterodine
    Tolterodine is an antimuscarinic drug that is used to treat urinary incontinence.It is marketed by Pfizer in Canada and the United States by its brand name Detrol. In Egypt it is also found under the trade names Tolterodine by Sabaa and Incont L.A...

  • oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin is an anticholinergic medication used to relieve urinary and bladder difficulties, including frequent urination and inability to control urination , by decreasing muscle spasms of the bladder. It competitively antagonizes the M1, M2, and M3 subtypes of the muscarinic acetylcholine...

  • ipratropium
    Ipratropium
    Ipratropium bromide is an anticholinergic drug used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma. It blocks the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs, opening the bronchi...

  • methoctramine
  • tripitramine
  • gallamine
    Gallamine
    Gallamine triethiodide is a non-depolarising muscle relaxant. It acts by combining with the cholinergic receptor sites in muscle and competitively blocking the transmitter action of acetylcholine. Gallamine triethiodide has a parasympatholytic effect on the cardiac vagus nerve which causes...



  • >-
    | M3
    Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3
    The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 3, is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. It is encoded by the human gene CHRM3....

    • smooth muscle contraction
    • Increase intracellular calcium in vascular endothelium
    • increased endocrine and exocrine gland
      Exocrine gland
      Exocrine glands are a type of ductal glands that secrete their products into ducts that lead directly into the external environment...

       secretions, e.g. salivary glands and stomach
      Stomach
      The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...

    • In CNS
      Central nervous system
      The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

    • Eye accommodation
      Accommodation (eye)
      Accommodation is the process by which the vertebrate eye changes optical power to maintain a clear image on an object as its distance changes....

    • vasodilation
      Vasodilation
      Vasodilation refers to the widening of blood vessels resulting from relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, particularly in the large arteries, smaller arterioles and large veins. The process is essentially the opposite of vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of blood vessels. When...

    • induce emesis
    no no Gq
    Gq alpha subunit
    Gq protein or Gq/11 is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C . PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to diacyl glycerol and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway...

     
  • acetylcholine
    Acetylcholine
    The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

  • bethanechol
    Bethanechol
    Bethanechol is a parasympathomimetic choline carbamate that selectively stimulates muscarinic receptors without any effect on nicotinic receptors. Unlike acetylcholine, bethanechol is not hydrolyzed by cholinesterase and will therefore have a long duration of action. Bethanechol does not involve...

  • carbachol
    Carbachol
    Carbachol , also known as carbamylcholine, is a drug that binds and activates the acetylcholine receptor. Thus it is classified as a cholinergic agonist. It is primarily used for various ophthalmic purposes, such as for treating glaucoma, or for use during ophthalmic surgery...

  • oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine is a cholinomimetic that acts as a non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist.Oxotremorine produces ataxia, tremor and spasticity, similar to those symptoms seen in Parkinsonism, and has thus become a research tool in experimental studies aimed at determining more...

  • pilocarpine
    Pilocarpine
    Pilocarpine is a parasympathomimetic alkaloid obtained from the leaves of tropical American shrubs from the genus Pilocarpus. It is a non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist in the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts therapeutically at the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 due to its...

     (in eye)

  • atropine
    Atropine
    Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...

  • dicycloverine
  • tolterodine
    Tolterodine
    Tolterodine is an antimuscarinic drug that is used to treat urinary incontinence.It is marketed by Pfizer in Canada and the United States by its brand name Detrol. In Egypt it is also found under the trade names Tolterodine by Sabaa and Incont L.A...

  • oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin
    Oxybutynin is an anticholinergic medication used to relieve urinary and bladder difficulties, including frequent urination and inability to control urination , by decreasing muscle spasms of the bladder. It competitively antagonizes the M1, M2, and M3 subtypes of the muscarinic acetylcholine...

  • ipratropium
    Ipratropium
    Ipratropium bromide is an anticholinergic drug used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma. It blocks the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs, opening the bronchi...

  • darifenacin
    Darifenacin
    Darifenacin is a medication used to treat urinary incontinence. It used to be marketed by Novartis; however in 2010 US rights for were sold to Warner Chilcott for 400 million US$....

  • tiotropium
    Tiotropium
    Tiotropium bromide is a long-acting, 24 hour, anticholinergic bronchodilator used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . Tiotropium bromide capsules for inhalation are co-promoted by Boehringer-Ingelheim and Pfizer under the trade name Spiriva...


  • >-
    | M4
    Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M4
    The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M4, also known as the cholinergic receptor, muscarinic 4 , is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the CHRM4 gene.-Function:...

    • Activation of M4 causes decreased locomotion
    • In CNS
      Central nervous system
      The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

    yes ? Gi
    Gi alpha subunit
    Gi alpha subunit is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that inhibits the production of cAMP from ATP.- Receptors :The following G protein-coupled receptors couple to the Gi subunit:* Acetylcholine M2 & M4 receptors...

     
    K+
    Potassium
    Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...

     conductance
    Ca2+
    Calcium
    Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...

     conductance
  • acetylcholine
    Acetylcholine
    The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

  • carbachol
    Carbachol
    Carbachol , also known as carbamylcholine, is a drug that binds and activates the acetylcholine receptor. Thus it is classified as a cholinergic agonist. It is primarily used for various ophthalmic purposes, such as for treating glaucoma, or for use during ophthalmic surgery...

  • oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine is a cholinomimetic that acts as a non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist.Oxotremorine produces ataxia, tremor and spasticity, similar to those symptoms seen in Parkinsonism, and has thus become a research tool in experimental studies aimed at determining more...

  • CHRM5 
    • In CNS
      Central nervous system
      The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

    no ? Gq
    Gq alpha subunit
    Gq protein or Gq/11 is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C . PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to diacyl glycerol and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway...

     
  • acetylcholine
    Acetylcholine
    The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...

  • carbachol
    Carbachol
    Carbachol , also known as carbamylcholine, is a drug that binds and activates the acetylcholine receptor. Thus it is classified as a cholinergic agonist. It is primarily used for various ophthalmic purposes, such as for treating glaucoma, or for use during ophthalmic surgery...

  • oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine
    Oxotremorine is a cholinomimetic that acts as a non-selective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist.Oxotremorine produces ataxia, tremor and spasticity, similar to those symptoms seen in Parkinsonism, and has thus become a research tool in experimental studies aimed at determining more...


    • atropine
      Atropine
      Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...

    • dicycloverine
    • tolterodine
      Tolterodine
      Tolterodine is an antimuscarinic drug that is used to treat urinary incontinence.It is marketed by Pfizer in Canada and the United States by its brand name Detrol. In Egypt it is also found under the trade names Tolterodine by Sabaa and Incont L.A...

    • oxybutynin
      Oxybutynin
      Oxybutynin is an anticholinergic medication used to relieve urinary and bladder difficulties, including frequent urination and inability to control urination , by decreasing muscle spasms of the bladder. It competitively antagonizes the M1, M2, and M3 subtypes of the muscarinic acetylcholine...

    • ipratropium
      Ipratropium
      Ipratropium bromide is an anticholinergic drug used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma. It blocks the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs, opening the bronchi...


    M1 receptor

    This receptor is found mediating slow EPSP
    Excitatory postsynaptic potential
    In neuroscience, an excitatory postsynaptic potential is a temporary depolarization of postsynaptic membrane potential caused by the flow of positively charged ions into the postsynaptic cell as a result of opening of ligand-sensitive channels...

     at the ganglion in the postganglionic nerve, is common in exocrine gland
    Exocrine gland
    Exocrine glands are a type of ductal glands that secrete their products into ducts that lead directly into the external environment...

    s and in the CNS.

    It is predominantly found bound to G proteins of class Gq
    Gq alpha subunit
    Gq protein or Gq/11 is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C . PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to diacyl glycerol and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway...

    , which use upregulation of phospholipase
    Phospholipase
    A phospholipase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids into fatty acids and other lipophilic substances. There are four major classes, termed A, B, C and D, distinguished by the type of reaction which they catalyze:*Phospholipase A...

     C and, therefore, inositol trisphosphate and intracellular calcium as a signaling pathway. A receptor so bound would not be susceptible to CTX or PTX. However, Gi (causing a downstream decrease in cAMP
    Cyclic adenosine monophosphate
    Cyclic adenosine monophosphate is a second messenger important in many biological processes...

    ) and Gs (causing an increase in cAMP) have also been shown to be involved in interactions in certain tissues, and so would be susceptible to PTX and CTX, respectively.

    M2 receptor

    The M2 muscarinic receptors are located in the heart, where they act to slow the heart rate
    Heart rate
    Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time, typically expressed as beats per minute . Heart rate can vary as the body's need to absorb oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide changes, such as during exercise or sleep....

     down to normal sinus rhythm
    Sinus rhythm
    In medicine, sinus rhythm is the normal beating of the heart, as measured by an electrocardiogram . It has certain generic features that serve as hallmarks for comparison with normal ECGs.- ECG structure :...

     after stimulatory actions of the sympathetic nervous system, by slowing the speed of depolarization
    Depolarization
    In biology, depolarization is a change in a cell's membrane potential, making it more positive, or less negative. In neurons and some other cells, a large enough depolarization may result in an action potential...

    . They also reduce contractile forces of the atrial cardiac muscle
    Cardiac muscle
    Cardiac muscle is a type of involuntary striated muscle found in the walls and histologic foundation of the heart, specifically the myocardium. Cardiac muscle is one of three major types of muscle, the others being skeletal and smooth muscle...

    , and reduce conduction velocity of the atrioventricular node
    Atrioventricular node
    The atrioventricular node is a part of the electrical control system of the heart that coordinates heart rate. It electrically connects atrial and ventricular chambers...

     (AV node). It also serves to slightly decrease the contractile forces of the ventricular muscle.

    M2 muscarinic receptors act via a Gi
    Gi alpha subunit
    Gi alpha subunit is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that inhibits the production of cAMP from ATP.- Receptors :The following G protein-coupled receptors couple to the Gi subunit:* Acetylcholine M2 & M4 receptors...

     type receptor, which causes a decrease in cAMP in the cell, inhibition of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, and efflux of K+, in general, leading to inhibitory-type effects.

    M3 receptor

    The M3 muscarinic receptors are located at many places in the body. They are located in the smooth muscles of the blood vessels, as well as in the lungs. Because the M3 receptor is Gq-coupled and mediates an increase in intracellular calcium, it typically causes constriction of smooth muscle, such as that observed during bronchoconstriction
    Bronchoconstriction
    Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Bronchoconstriction can also be due to an accumulation of thick mucus....

    . However, with respect to vasculature, activation of M3 on vascular endothelial cells causes increased synthesis of nitric oxide, which diffuses to adjacent vascular smooth muscle cells and causes their relaxation, thereby explaining the paradoxical effect of parasympathomimetics on vascular tone and bronchiolar tone. Indeed, direct stimulation of vascular smooth muscle, M3 mediates vasconstriction in pathologies wherein the vascular endothelium is disrupted.
    The M3 receptors are also located in many glands, which help to stimulate secretion in, for example, the salivary glands, as well as other glands of the body.

    Like the M1 muscarinic receptor, M3 receptors are G proteins of class Gq
    Gq alpha subunit
    Gq protein or Gq/11 is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C . PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to diacyl glycerol and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway...

     that upregulate phospholipase C and, therefore, inositol trisphosphate and intracellular calcium as a signaling pathway.

    M4 receptor

    M4 receptors are found in the CNS.

    Receptors work via Gi
    Gi alpha subunit
    Gi alpha subunit is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that inhibits the production of cAMP from ATP.- Receptors :The following G protein-coupled receptors couple to the Gi subunit:* Acetylcholine M2 & M4 receptors...

     receptors to decrease cAMP in the cell and, thus, produce generally inhibitory effects.

    M5 receptor

    Location of M5 receptors is not well known.

    Like the M1 and M3 muscarinic receptor, M5 receptors are coupled with G proteins of class Gq
    Gq alpha subunit
    Gq protein or Gq/11 is a heterotrimeric G protein subunit that activates phospholipase C . PLC in turn hydrolyzes Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to diacyl glycerol and inositol triphosphate signal transduction pathway...

     that upregulate phospholipase C and, therefore, inositol trisphosphate and intracellular calcium as a signaling pathway.

    Pharmacological application

    Ligands
    Ligand (biochemistry)
    In biochemistry and pharmacology, a ligand is a substance that forms a complex with a biomolecule to serve a biological purpose. In a narrower sense, it is a signal triggering molecule, binding to a site on a target protein.The binding occurs by intermolecular forces, such as ionic bonds, hydrogen...

     targeting the mAChR that are currently approved for clinical use include non-selective antagonists for the treatment of Parkinson's disease
    Parkinson's disease
    Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...

    , atropine
    Atropine
    Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...

     (to dilate the pupil
    Pupil
    The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils. In...

    ), Scopolamine
    Scopolamine
    Scopolamine, also known as levo-duboisine, and hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug with muscarinic antagonist effects. It is among the secondary metabolites of plants from Solanaceae family of plants, such as henbane, jimson weed and Angel's Trumpets , and corkwood...

     (used to prevent motion sickness
    Motion sickness
    Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...

    ), and ipratropium
    Ipratropium
    Ipratropium bromide is an anticholinergic drug used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute asthma. It blocks the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs, opening the bronchi...

     (used in the treatment of COPD).

    See also

    • Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
      Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
      Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs, are cholinergic receptors that form ligand-gated ion channels in the plasma membranes of certain neurons and on the postsynaptic side of the neuromuscular junction...

    • Muscarinic receptor agonist
      Muscarinic receptor agonist
      A muscarinic receptor agonist is an agent that enhances the activity of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. The muscarinic receptor has different subtypes, labelled M1-M5, allowing for further differentiation.- M1 :...

    • Tiotropium
      Tiotropium
      Tiotropium bromide is a long-acting, 24 hour, anticholinergic bronchodilator used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . Tiotropium bromide capsules for inhalation are co-promoted by Boehringer-Ingelheim and Pfizer under the trade name Spiriva...

    • Nicotinic agonist
      Nicotinic agonist
      A nicotinic agonist is a drug which enhances the action at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor .Examples include:* nicotine...


    External links

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