When the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is applied to skeletal muscle cells that have been cultured in vitro, it binds the acetylcholine receptor and causes the muscle cells to contract. Succinylcholine, which is a chemical analogue of acetylcholine, binds to the acetylcholine receptor on skeletal muscle cells but causes the muscle cell to relax; it is therefore often used by surgeons as a muscle relaxant. What might be the mechanism to explain the different activities of acetylcholine and succinylcholine on the acetylcholine receptor?