title: Recent advances in gene manipulation and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor biology.
abstract: Pharmacological and immunological methods have been valuable for both identifying some native nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes that exist in vivo and determining the neurobiological and behavioral role of certain nAChR subtypes. However, these approaches suffer from shortage of subtype specific ligands and reliable immunological reagents. Consequently, genetic approaches have been developed to complement earlier approaches to identify native nAChR subtypes and to assess the contribution of nAChRs to brain function and behavior. In this review we describe how assembly partners, knock-in mice and targeted lentiviral re-expression of genes have been utilized to improve our understanding of nAChR neurobiology. In addition, we summarize emerging genetic tools in nAChR research.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, UCB 447, Boulder, CO 80309, United States. anne.tammimaki@colorado.edu
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tammimäki
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Jerry A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stitzel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic