Structures of the M2 channel-lining segments from nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptors by NMR spectroscopy.
Opella, S.J., Marassi, F.M., Gesell, J.J., Valente, A.P., Kim, Y., Oblatt-Montal, M., Montal, M.(1999) Nat Struct Biol 6: 374-379
- PubMed: 10201407 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/7610
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1A11, 1CEK, 1EQ8, 2NR1 - PubMed Abstract: 
The structures of functional peptides corresponding to the predicted channel-lining M2 segments of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and of a glutamate receptor of the NMDA subtype (NMDAR) were determined using solution NMR experiments on micelle samples, and solid-state NMR experiments on bilayer samples. Both M2 segments form straight transmembrane alpha-helices with no kinks. The AChR M2 peptide inserts in the lipid bilayer at an angle of 12 degrees relative to the bilayer normal, with a rotation about the helix long axis such that the polar residues face the N-terminal side of the membrane, which is assigned to be intracellular. A model built from these solid-state NMR data, and assuming a symmetric pentameric arrangement of M2 helices, results in a funnel-like architecture for the channel, with the wide opening on the N-terminal intracellular side.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19014, USA. opella@chestnut.chem.upenn.edu