The α5 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit Differentially Modulates α4β2^* and α3β4^* Receptors.

ABSTRACT: Nicotine, the principal reinforcing compound in tobacco, acts in the brain by activating neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding how the α5 accessory nAChR subunit, encoded by the CHRNA5 gene, differentially modulates α4β2^* and α3β4^* receptors at the cellular level. Genome-wide association studies have linked a gene cluster in chromosomal region 15q25 to increased susceptibility to nicotine addiction, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Interestingly, this gene cluster contains a non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the human CHRNA5 gene, causing an aspartic acid (D) to asparagine (N) substitution at amino acid position 3

SUBMITTER: Scholze P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7744819 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature