mRNA levels Are Regulated by Muscle Activity

Denervation of adult skeletal muscle results in increased sensitivity to acetylcholine in extrajunctional regions of the muscle fiber. This increase in acetylcholine sensitivity is accompanied by a large increase in the level of mRNAs coding for the a-, f3-, Y-, and S-subunits of the acetylcholine receptor. To determine whether muscle activity is sufficient to regulate expression of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptor mRNA levels, denervated muscles were stimulated with extracellular electrodes. Direct stimulation of denervated muscle suppresses both the increase in extrajunctional acetylcholine sensitivity and the expression of mRNA encoding the a-, /3-, y-, and S-subunits of the acetylcholine receptor. These results show that muscle activity regulates the level of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors by regulating the expression of their mRNAs.