title: Heteromeric α7β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in the Brain.
abstract: The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) is highly expressed in the brain, where it maintains various neuronal functions including (but not limited to) learning and memory. In addition, the protein expression levels of α7 nAChRs are altered in various brain disorders. The classic rule governing α7 nAChR assembly in the mammalian brain was that it was assembled from five α7 subunits to form a homomeric receptor pentamer. However, emerging evidence demonstrates the presence of heteromeric α7 nAChRs in heterologously expressed systems and naturally in brain neurons, where α7 subunits are co-assembled with β2 subunits to form a novel type of α7β2 nAChR. Interestingly, the α7β2 nAChR exhibits distinctive function and pharmacology from traditional homomeric α7 nAChRs. We review recent advances in probing the distribution, function, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and stoichiometry of the heteromeric α7β2 nAChR, which have provided new insights into the understanding of a novel target of cholinergic signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medicine College, Shantou, Guangdong, China; Divisions of Neurology and Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013-4496, USA. Electronic address: jie.wu@dignityhealth.org.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Neurology and Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013-4496, USA.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Research Unit, University Hospital Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medicine College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Neurology and Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013-4496, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whiteaker
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH)/DHHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Jerrel L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yakel
mesh_terms: D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
keywords: acetylcholine; alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor; choline; nicotine; nicotinic acetylcholine receptor