title: Dystrophin stabilizes alpha 3- but not alpha 7-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes at the postsynaptic apparatus in the mouse superior cervical ganglion.
abstract: The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes were characterized in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of wild-type and dystrophin-lacking mdx mice. The binding of Epibatidine and alphaBungarotoxin, ligands for alpha3- and alpha7-containing receptors, respectively, revealed, for each ligand, a single class of high-affinity binding sites, with similar affinity in both wild-type and mdx mice. The Epibatidine-labeled receptors were immunoprecipitated by antibodies against the alpha3, beta2, and beta4 subunits. Immunocytochemistry showed that the percentage of alpha3-, beta2-, and beta4- but not of alpha7-immunopositive postsynaptic specializations was significantly lower in mdx than in wild-type mouse SCG. These observations suggest that the mouse SCG contains nAChRs, stabilized by dystrophin, in which the alpha3 subunit is associated with the beta2 and/or beta4 subunits. Conversely, dystrophin is not involved in the stabilization of the alpha7-containing nAChRs, as the percentage of alpha7-immunopositive synapses is similar in both wild-type and mdx mouse SCG.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo, Università La Sapienza, 0185-Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Signore
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gotti
authors.forename: M Egle
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: De Stefano
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paggi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001665:Binding Sites; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000378:metabolism; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D011725:Pyridines / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
chemical_list: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D016189:Dystrophin; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D011725:Pyridines; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D014316:Tritium; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; C579167:Chrna7 protein, human; C579166:Chrna7 protein, mouse; C579165:Chrna7 protein, rat; C082748:epibatidine