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Review ArticleReview

International Union of Pharmacology. XX. Current Status of the Nomenclature for Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Their Subunits

Ronald J. Lukas, Jean-Pierre Changeux, Nicolas le Novère, Edson X. Albuquerque, David J. K. Balfour, Darwin K. Berg, Daniel Bertrand, Vincent A. Chiappinelli, Paul B. S. Clarke, Allan C. Collins, John A. Dani, Sharon R. Grady, Kenneth J. Kellar, Jon M. Lindstrom, Michael J. Marks, Maryka Quik, Palmer W. Taylor and Susan Wonnacott
Pharmacological Reviews June 1999, 51 (2) 397-401;
Ronald J. Lukas
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Jean-Pierre Changeux
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Nicolas le Novère
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Edson X. Albuquerque
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David J. K. Balfour
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Darwin K. Berg
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Daniel Bertrand
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Vincent A. Chiappinelli
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Paul B. S. Clarke
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Allan C. Collins
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John A. Dani
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Sharon R. Grady
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Kenneth J. Kellar
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Jon M. Lindstrom
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Michael J. Marks
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Maryka Quik
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Palmer W. Taylor
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Susan Wonnacott
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    Figure 1

    Schematic diagrams showing (upper) transmembrane topology of nAChR subunits and (lower) features of nAChR subunit assembly. Upper schematic illustrates the existence of an extensive, extracellular N-terminal region, four transmembrane segments, a cytoplasmic loop, and an extracellular C terminus for each nACh receptor subunit (not drawn to scale; surrounding lipid bilayer is also represented schematically). Lower schematic illustrates known arrangements of subunits constituting a nACh receptor type predominant in fetal skeletal muscle (left) and constituting a homooligomeric nACh receptor composed of α7 subunits (right). Assembly of subunits is thought to be regulated and limited by interactions between amino acid residues at subunit interfaces. Ligand binding pockets are thought to be formed at a subset of these assembly interfaces. For example, two distinct classes of ligand binding sites are formed at interfaces between α1 and γ subunits or between α1 and δ subunits of the nACh receptor from fetal muscle. Five largely similar ligand binding domains are thought to be formed at negative and positive faces of α7 subunits in homooligomeric α7-nACh receptors. All subunits contribute to channel formation, reflected by influences of every nACh receptor subunit identified to date on features of channel activity upon interaction with nicotinic ligand (see Table 1).

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    Table 1

    Subunit compositions of well established, naturally expressed and heterologously expressed nACh receptors

    Naturally Expressed nACh ReceptorsHeterologously Expressed nACh Receptors
    (α1)2β1γδFetal skeletal muscleα1β1γδ
    (α1)2β1ɛδAdult skeletal muscleα1β1ɛδ
    α1γδ plus β2 or β4
    α2 plus β2 or β4
    α3β4* Autonomic gangliaα3 plus β2 or β4
    α3α5β4Autonomic gangliaα3α5β4
    α3β3β4
    α3α5β2
    α3α5β2β4Autonomic ganglia
    (α4)2(β2)3 CNSα4 plus β2 or β4
    α4β2β4
    α4β2β3β4
    α4α5β2CNSα4α5β2
    α6 plus β2 or β4
    α7* Autonomic ganglia, CNSα7
    α7α8* Chick retina, chick CNSα7α8 (chick)
    α8* Chick retinaα8 (chick)
    α9* Cochlea, pituitaryα9
    • Subunit compositions, stoichiometries if known, and principal locations (not exhaustively, but focusing on selected central, sensory, autonomic, and/or somatomotor nervous system locations) are indicated for well-characterized, naturally expressed nACh receptors. Also shown are subunit compositions known to form distinctive, functional receptor-channel complexes in heterologous expression systems based on studies using subunits derived from several species including man, rat, mouse, chick, and/or electric ray. Note that α8 subunits and receptors containing them have only been identified in chick.

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Pharmacological Reviews: 51 (2)
Pharmacological Reviews
Vol. 51, Issue 2
1 Jun 1999
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Review ArticleReview

International Union of Pharmacology. XX. Current Status of the Nomenclature for Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Their Subunits

Ronald J. Lukas, Jean-Pierre Changeux, Nicolas le Novère, Edson X. Albuquerque, David J. K. Balfour, Darwin K. Berg, Daniel Bertrand, Vincent A. Chiappinelli, Paul B. S. Clarke, Allan C. Collins, John A. Dani, Sharon R. Grady, Kenneth J. Kellar, Jon M. Lindstrom, Michael J. Marks, Maryka Quik, Palmer W. Taylor and Susan Wonnacott
Pharmacological Reviews June 1, 1999, 51 (2) 397-401;

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Review ArticleReview

International Union of Pharmacology. XX. Current Status of the Nomenclature for Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Their Subunits

Ronald J. Lukas, Jean-Pierre Changeux, Nicolas le Novère, Edson X. Albuquerque, David J. K. Balfour, Darwin K. Berg, Daniel Bertrand, Vincent A. Chiappinelli, Paul B. S. Clarke, Allan C. Collins, John A. Dani, Sharon R. Grady, Kenneth J. Kellar, Jon M. Lindstrom, Michael J. Marks, Maryka Quik, Palmer W. Taylor and Susan Wonnacott
Pharmacological Reviews June 1, 1999, 51 (2) 397-401;
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  • Article
    • I. Introduction
    • II. Current Status of nACh Receptor Subunit Nomenclature and Receptor Type Nomenclature and Classification
    • III. Present Definitions of nACh Receptor Subunits and Receptor Types
    • Acknowledgments
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