The distribution of charged amino acid residues and the Ca(2+) permeability of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: a predictive model
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are cation-selective ligand-gated ion channels exhibiting variable Ca(2+) permeability depending on their subunit composition. The Ca(2+) permeability is a crucial functional parameter to understand the physiological role of nAChRs, in particular considering their ability to modulate Ca(2+)-dependent processes such as neurotransmitter release.