title: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and nicotinic cholinergic mechanisms of the central nervous system.
abstract: Subtypes of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are constructed from numerous subunit combinations that compose channel-receptor complexes with varied functional and pharmacological characteristics. Structural and functional diversity and the broad presynaptic, postsynaptic, and nonsynaptic locations of nAChRs underlie their mainly modulatory roles throughout the mammalian brain. Presynaptic and preterminal nicotinic receptors enhance neurotransmitter release, postsynaptic nAChRs contribute a small minority of fast excitatory transmission, and nonsynaptic nAChRs modulate many neurotransmitter systems by influencing neuronal excitability. Nicotinic receptors have roles in development and synaptic plasticity, and nicotinic mechanisms participate in learning, memory, and attention. Decline, disruption, or alterations of nicotinic cholinergic mechanisms contribute to dysfunctions such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, autism, dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, and addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Program of Structural & Computational Biology & Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. jdani@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bertrand
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000502:physiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic