Studies of the composition of purified Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor and of its subunits.

Under conditions that limit proteolytic degradation, the detergent-solubilized purified receptor protein from Torpedo californica exists in monomeric and dimeric forms. The purified receptor complex is composed of four different polypeptide subunits of apparent molecular weights 40 000, 50 000, 60 000, and 65 000. The individual polypeptides have been purified and their amino acid compositions have shown them to be relatively hydrophobic. In addition, the carbohydrate composition of the intact receptor complex and of the individual polypeptides has been determined. Amino acid analysis provided evidence for the occurrence of a component with chromatographic properties similar to those of phosphoserine. Treatment of receptor with CH3NH2 in base, a condition which provided quantitative modification of O-phosphoserine residues in beta-casein, completely eliminated the peak corresponding to phosphoserine following mild acid hydrolysis. We conclude that the receptor contains O-phosphoserine residues to the extent of approximately seven residues per molecule and these residues occur in all constituent polypeptides. Other forms of O-substituted serine and threonine were also shown to occur, most likely as glycosylated residues.