Primary structure and expression of beta 2: a novel subunit of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
A new subunit, beta 2, of the neuronal nicotinic receptor family has been identified. This subunit has the structural features of a non-agonist-binding subunit. We provide evidence that beta 2 can substitute for the muscle beta 1 subunit to form a functional nicotinic receptor in Xenopus oocytes. Expression studies performed in oocytes have demonstrated that three different neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can be formed by the pairwise injection of beta 2 mRNA and each of the neuronal alpha subunit mRNAs. The beta 2 gene is expressed in PC12 cells and in areas of the central nervous system where the alpha 2, alpha 3, and alpha 4 genes are expressed. These results lead us to propose that the nervous system expresses diverse forms of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by combining beta 2 subunits with different agonist-binding alpha subunits.
Deneris
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ES
Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute, San Diego, California 92138.
Connolly
J
J
Boulter
J
J
Wada
E
E
Wada
K
K
Swanson
L W
LW
Patrick
J
J
Heinemann
S
S
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D004247:DNA; D000109:Acetylcholine