Functional characterization of the ?5(Asn398) variant associated with risk for nicotine dependence in the ?3?4?5 nicotinic receptor.
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ABSTRACT: Smoking is a major cause for premature death. Work aimed at identifying genetic factors that contribute to nicotine addiction has revealed several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are linked to smoking-related behaviors such as nicotine dependence and level of smoking. One of these SNPs leads to an aspartic acid-to-asparagine substitution in the nicotinic receptor ?5 subunit at amino acid position 398 [rs16969968; ?5(Asn398)]. The ?5 subunit is expressed both in the brain and in the periphery. In the brain, it associates with the ?4 and ?2 subunits to form ?4?2?5 receptors. In the periphery, the ?5 subunit combines with the ?3 and ?4 subunits to form the major ganglionic postsynaptic nicotinic receptor subtype. The ?3?4?5 receptor regulates a variety of autonomic responses such as control of cardiac rate, blood pressure, and perfusion. In this paradigm, the ?5(Asn398) variant may act by regulating autonomic responses that may affect nicotine intake by humans. Here, we have investigated the effect of the ?5(Asn398) variant on the function of the ?3?4?5 receptor. The wild-type or variant ?5 subunits were coexpressed with the ?3 and ?4 subunits in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. The properties of the receptors were studied using whole-cell and single-channel electrophysiology. The data indicate that the introduction of the ?5(Asn398) mutation has little effect on the pharmacology of receptor activation, receptor desensitization, or single-channel properties. We propose that the effect of the ?5(Asn398) variant on nicotine use is not mediated by an action on the physiological or pharmacological properties of the ?3?4?5 subtype.
SUBMITTER: Li P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3198915 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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