Molecular modeling of the a9a10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype

Abstract

This study reports the comparative molecular modeling, docking and dynamic simulations of human a9a10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors complexed with acetylcholine, nicotine and a-conotoxin RgIA, using as templates the crystal structures of Aplysia californica and Lymnaea stagnalis acetylcholine binding proteins. The molecular dynamics simulations showed that Arg112 in the complementary a10( ) subunit, is a determinant for recognition in the site that binds small ligands. However, Glu195 in the principal a9(+), and Asp114 in the complementary a10( ) subunit, might confer the potency and selectivity to a-conotoxin RgIA when interacting with Arg7 and Arg9 of this ligand.