Different sensitivities to agonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes

Abstract
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) III expressed in Xenopus oocytes, like mAChR I, mediates activation of a Ca2+‐dependent Cl current, whereas mAChR IV, like mAChR II, principally induces activation of Na+ and K+ currents in a Ca2+‐independent manner. mAChR III has a sensitivity to agonist of about one order of magnitude higher than that of mAChR I in mediating the Ca2+‐dependent current response in Xenopus oocytes and in stimulating phosphoinositide hydrolysis in NG108‐15 neuroblastoma‐glioma hybrid cells. The agonist‐binding affinity of mAChR III is also about one order of magnitude higher than that of mAChR I.