Single-channel properties of N- and L-subtypes of acetylcholine receptor in Ascaris suum.

We are interested in the properties of the target site of cholinergic anti-nematodal drugs for therapeutic reasons. The target receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that have different subtypes, and each subtype may have a different pharmacology. In a contraction assay using the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum, our laboratory has identified several subtypes, including an N-subtype, preferentially activated by nicotine, and an L-subtype, preferentially activated by levamisole.