Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

Acetylcholine - the natural agonist of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.
Muscarine - an agonist used to distinguish between these two classes of receptors. Not normally found in the body.
Atropine - an antagonist.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are acetylcholine receptors that form G protein-coupled receptor complexes in the cell membranes of certain neurons[1] and other cells. They play several roles, including acting as the main end-receptor stimulated by acetylcholine released from postganglionic fibers. They are mainly found in the parasympathetic nervous system, but also have a role in the sympathetic nervous system in the control of sweat glands.[2]

Muscarinic receptors are so named because they are more sensitive to muscarine than to nicotine.[3] Their counterparts are nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), receptor ion channels that are also important in the autonomic nervous system. Many drugs and other substances (for example pilocarpine and scopolamine) manipulate these two distinct receptors by acting as selective agonists or antagonists.[4]

  1. ^ Eglen RM (July 2006). "Muscarinic receptor subtypes in neuronal and non-neuronal cholinergic function". Autonomic & Autacoid Pharmacology. 26 (3): 219–33. doi:10.1111/j.1474-8673.2006.00368.x. PMID 16879488.
  2. ^ Kudlak, Megan; Tadi, Prasanna (2024), "Physiology, Muscarinic Receptor", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 32310369, retrieved 2024-06-07
  3. ^ Ishii M, Kurachi Y (2006). "Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors". Current Pharmaceutical Design. 12 (28): 3573–81. doi:10.2174/138161206778522056. PMID 17073660. Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2020-04-10.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ Purves, Dale, George J. Augustine, David Fitzpatrick, William C. Hall, Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, James O. McNamara, and Leonard E. White (2008). Neuroscience. 4th ed. Sinauer Associates. pp. 122–6. ISBN 978-0-87893-697-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)