Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Patent Pending Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs, are neuron receptor proteins that signal for muscular contraction upon a chemical stimulus. They are cholinergic receptors that form ligand-gated ion channels in the plasma membranes of certain neurons and on the presynaptic and postsynaptic sides of the neuromuscular junction. Like ionotropic receptors, nAChRs are directly linked to ion channels and do not use second messengers (as metabotropic receptors do). Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are the best-studied of the ionotropic receptors.