New treatments for nicotine addiction and certain muscular diseases may soon take a step forward, thanks in part to research on a tiny, bacteria-eating worm found in soil around the world. A University of Illinois at Chicago neurobiologist working with colleagues from France discovered a new protein required for proper clustering of muscle receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The receptors, properly clustered on the muscle membrane where the muscle is wired to the nerve, are necessary for normal muscle contraction. The protein has close counterparts in humans and presents a new target for research in areas as diverse as nicotine cravings and treatment for myasthenia gravis. The findings are reported in the Sept. 30 issue of Nature by Janet Richmond, assistant professor of biology at UIC, and Christelle Gally, Stefan Eimer and Jean-Louis Bessereau of the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris.
