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

运动神经元和肌纤维之间的突触称为神经肌肉连接。在神经肌肉交界处，信号由乙酰胆碱分子转导，这些分子从运动神经元的末端释放出来，与肌肉纤维上的乙酰胆碱受体结合。乙酰胆碱受体形成簇，与肌纤维突触后膜上的各种信号和支架蛋白相互作用。乙酰胆碱受体簇在神经肌肉信号传导中是不可或缺的。但乙酰胆碱受体聚类的分子机制仍有待进一步研究。在本研究中，我们通过光学显微镜和电子显微镜，特别是冷冻电子显微镜的相关观察方法，阐明了乙酰胆碱受体及其相关蛋白在簇中的分子分布。

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.