Molecular analysis of the mechanism at neuromuscular junction by correlative light and cryo-electron microscopy

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A synapse between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber is called a neuromuscular junction. At the neuromuscular junction, the signal is transduced by acetylcholine molecules, which are released from the terminal of motor neurons and bind to acetylcholine receptors on the muscle fibers. The acetylcholine receptors form the clusters, interacting with various signaling and scaffolding proteins on the postsynaptic membrane of the muscle fibers. The acetylcholine receptor clusters are indispensable for neuromuscular signal transduction. But the molecular mechanism of acetylcholine receptor clustering remains to be investigated. In this study, we elucidated the molecular distribution of acetylcholine receptors and their associated proteins in the cluster, by the method of correlative observation between light microscopy and electron microscopy, especially, cryo-electron microscopy.