title: The functional diversity of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors is increased by a novel subunit: beta 4.
abstract: A new nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit, beta 4, was identified by screening a rat genomic library. In situ hybridization histochemistry revealed expression of the beta 4 gene in the medial habenula of adult rat brains. The primary structure of this subunit was deduced from a cDNA clone isolated from a PC12 cDNA library. Functional nAChRs were detected in Xenopus oocytes injected in pairwise combinations with in vitro synthesized RNAs encoding beta 4 and either the alpha 2, alpha 3, or alpha 4 subunit. Unlike the alpha 3 beta 2 receptor, the alpha 3 beta 4 receptor is not blocked by bungarotoxin 3.1, indicating that the beta subunit can affect the sensitivity of neuronal nAChRs to this toxin. These results extend the functional diversity of nicotinic receptors in the nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute, San Diego, California 92138.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Duvoisin
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Deneris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patrick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinemann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics*; D014981:Xenopus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic