Affinity alkylation labels two subunits of the reduced acetylcholine receptor from mammalian muscle

The acetylcholine receptor from denervated rat skeletal muscle was purified by affinity chromatography and, after reduction, was treated with the affinity alkylating agent 4-(N-maleimido)benzyltri[3H]methylammonium iodide. The receptor specifically incorporated approximately 1 mol of alkylating agent per mol of 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin bound. Analysis of the labeled receptor by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate showed that two subunits were labeled; their apparent molecular weights were 45,000 and 49,000. These results suggest that the affinity reagent labels a second site for acetylcholine binding in the muscle receptor that is not labeled in receptors from Electrophorus or Torpedo.