Question

Release of acetylcholine from a neuron onto a striated muscle cell triggers contraction, release onto a heart muscle slows the rate of contraction, and release onto a pancreatic acinar cell triggers the release of digestive enzymes. How can acetylcholine have different effects on different cells?

Different subtypes of the acetylcholine receptor activate different signal transduction pathways in different cells.

Acetylcholine binds to intracellular receptors in some cell types, tyrosine kinase receptors in other cell types, and G protein-coupled receptors in other cells types, which will lead to varied responses.

Since acetylcholine is a water-soluble compound, it enters cells and activates different genes in each cell type.

Acetylcholine is modified differently in each cell it enters, thus triggering a different response in different cell types.

Answer 1

Ans). Different subtypes of the acetylcholine receptor activate different signal transduction pathways in different cells.