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On the Main Immunogenic Region of the Acetylcholine Receptor. Structure and Role in Myasthenia Gravis

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The Molecular Biology of Autoimmune Disease

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIH,volume 38))

Abstract

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) from mammalian muscle and fish electric organ consists of four homologous subunits with the stoichiometry a2βγδ. Each subunit transverses the membrane at least four times (Changeux and Revan, 1987; Numa et al., 1983). The AChR molecule is the major autoantigen in the human autoimmune disease, myasthenia gravis (MG) (Willcox and Vincent, 1988). Anti-AChR antibodies result in loss of AChRs and also directly block the function of the remaining AChR molecules, thereby causing a defect in neuromuscular transmission.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece

    S. J. Tzartos, D. Sophianos, A. Kordossi & I. Papadouli

  2. University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

    I. Hadjidakis & C. Sakarellos

  3. CNRS-UA-494, ENSIC-INPL, Nancy, France

    M. T. Cung & M. Marraud

Authors
  1. S. J. Tzartos
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  2. D. Sophianos
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  3. A. Kordossi
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  4. I. Papadouli
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  5. I. Hadjidakis
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  6. C. Sakarellos
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  7. M. T. Cung
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  8. M. Marraud
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, King’s College School of Medicine, Denmark Hill, SE5 8RX, London, UK

    Andrew G. Demaine , J-Paul Banga  & Alan M. McGregor ,  & 

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Tzartos, S.J. et al. (1990). On the Main Immunogenic Region of the Acetylcholine Receptor. Structure and Role in Myasthenia Gravis. In: Demaine, A.G., Banga, JP., McGregor, A.M. (eds) The Molecular Biology of Autoimmune Disease. NATO ASI Series, vol 38. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75133-2_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75133-2_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-75135-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-75133-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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