Efficient expression of functional (α6β2)2β3 AChRs in Xenopus oocytes from free subunits using slightly modified α6 subunits.

ABSTRACT: Human (α6β2)(α4β2)β3 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are essential for addiction to nicotine and a target for drug development for smoking cessation. Expressing this complex AChR is difficult, but has been achieved using subunit concatamers. In order to determine what limits expression of α6* AChRs and to efficiently express α6* AChRs using free subunits, we investigated expression of the simpler (α6β2)2β3 AChR. The concatameric form of this AChR assembles well, but is transported to the cell surface inefficiently. Various chimeras of α6 with the closely related α3 subunit increased expression efficiency with free subunits and produced pharmacologically equivalent functional AChRs. A chimera in which the large cytoplasmic domain of α6 was replaced with that of α3 increased assemb

SUBMITTER: Ley CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4113361 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature