Change in state of phosphorylation of acetylcholine receptor during maturation of the electromotor synapse in Torpedo marmorata electric organ.

Two populations of membrane fragments, both rich in acetylcholine receptor (AcChoR), appeared during subcellular fractionation by ultracentrifugation of neonatal Torpedo marmorata electric organs. One of these equilibrated at 38.5% (wt/wt) sucrose, as did AcChoR-rich membranes from adult fish; the other equilibrated at 36.8% sucrose. AcChoR purified from these light membrane fractions gave the same subunit profile as adult AcChoR (after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate) but was more susceptible to heat inactivation and focused at an isoelectric point more alkaline by 0.1 pH unit. Treatment of adult AcChoR with Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase decreased its thermal stability and shifted its isoelectric point towards alkaline pH. However, identical treatment did not affect AcChoR purified from neonatal light membrane fractions. The gamma and delta chains of AcChoR can be phosphorylated in vitro by endogenous protein kinases, which copurify with AcChoR-rich membranes. Treatment of AcChoR from neonatal light membranes by E. coli alkaline phosphatase enhanced the phosphorylation of the gamma and delta chains but did so to a smaller extent than in the case of adult AcChoR. In conclusion, adult AcChoR appears to be more phosphorylated than AcChoR from neonatal light membranes, indicating that its state of phosphorylation changes during development.