mAChR1

mAChR1 (M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor) mediates acetylcholine-induced neurotransmission and is widely expressed in the central nervous system[1]. Mechanistically, M1 activates multiple signaling cascades, including Gαq/11-dependent inositol phosphate signaling, while orthosteric and allosteric agonists can produce distinct downstream coupling profiles[2]. In experimental models, M1 knockout ablates muscarinic receptor-dependent M-current regulation and reduces pilocarpine-induced seizure activity, supporting its use in neuronal excitability studies[3]. In Alzheimer’s disease research, M1 activation links cholinergic hypofunction to APP processing, Aβ production, tau phosphorylation, and learning and memory pathways[1]. Compared with related isoforms, M1 and M4 have distinct orthosteric and allosteric binding-site features, but the conserved acetylcholine pocket makes subtype-selective orthosteric ligand design difficult[4]. For experimental applications, M1 positive allosteric modulators such as BQCA and BQZ-12 restored memory loss and slowed disease progression in mouse prion disease models[5].