title: Assembly and subunit diversity of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
abstract: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a diverse family of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels which contain five transmembrane subunits arranged around a central pore. Distinct receptor subtypes are expressed at the vertebrate skeletal neuromuscular junction, in mechanosensory cells and within the central and peripheral nervous systems. A total of 17 nAChR subunits (alpha1-alpha10, beta1-beta4, gamma, delta and epsilon ) have been identified in vertebrate species, which can co-assemble to generate a wide variety of nAChRs. Nicotinic receptors also constitute an abundant and diverse family of receptors in invertebrates. As a consequence of studies which have been conducted with both native and recombinant nAChRs, the subunit composition of nAChRs and the rules governing subunit co-assembly are becoming clearer. In this paper the extent of nAChR subunit diversity and evidence for receptor subunit composition is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. n.millar@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Millar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic