Patent ID: 7198942

Claim:
A modified acetylcholine receptor subunit comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 3, wherein the modified acetylcholine receptor subunit comprises an α subunit of a vertebrate acetylcholine receptor having a region which is homologous with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein at least one amino acid in the region of the α subunit of the vertebrate acetylcholine receptor which is homologous with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 is replaced by an amino acid which occurs at the identical position in the corresponding region of an α subunit of an insect acetylcholine receptor, and wherein the replacement of the at least one amino acid in the region of the α subunit results in a change of the amino acid sequence when compared with the amino acid sequence of the α subunit wherein no replacement has occurred.