title: Amyloid beta(1-42) peptide alters the gating of human and mouse alpha-bungarotoxin-sensitive nicotinic receptors.
abstract: The beta-amyloid(1-42) peptide (Abeta(1-42)), a major constituent of the Alzheimer's disease amyloid plaque, specifically binds to the neuronal alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx)-sensitive alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha7 nAChR). Accordingly, Abeta1-42 interferes with the function of alpha7 nAChRs in chick and rodent neurons. To gain insights into the human disease, we studied the action of Abeta(1-42) on human alpha7 nAChRs expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In voltage-clamped oocytes expressing the wild-type receptor, Abeta(1-42) blocked ACh-evoked currents. The block was non-competitive, required over 100 s to develop and was partially reversible. In oocytes expressing the mutant L248T receptor, Abeta(1-42) activated methyllycaconitine-sensitive currents in a dose-dependent manner. Peptide-evoked unitary events, recorded in outside-out patches, showed single-channel conductances and open duration comparable to ACh-evoked events. Abeta(1-42) had no effect on the currents evoked by glutamate, GABA or glycine in oocytes expressing human or mouse receptors for these transmitters. Muscle nAChRs are also alpha-BuTx-sensitive and we therefore investigated whether they respond to Abeta(1-42). In human kidney BOSC 23 cells expressing the fetal or adult mouse muscle nAChRs, Abeta(1-42) blocked ACh-evoked whole-cell currents, accelerating their decay. Outside-out single-channel recordings showed that the block was due to a reduced channel open probability and enhanced block upon ACh application. We also report that the inverse peptide Abeta(42-1), but not Abeta(40-1), partially mimicked the effects of the physiological Abeta(1-42) peptide. Possible implications for degenerative neuronal and muscular diseases are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti and Dipartimento di Fisiologia Umana e Farmacologia, Università La Sapienza Ple A Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tonini
authors.forename: Mascia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amici
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballivet
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eusebi
mesh_terms: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects*; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; C579167:Chrna7 protein, human; C579166:Chrna7 protein, mouse; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; C075222:amyloid beta-protein (1-42)