CHRNA2 explained

Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-2, also known as nAChRα2, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CHRNA2 gene.^{[1] [2]} The protein encoded by this gene is a subunit of certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchR).

Function

Knockout of this gene in mice potentiates nicotine-modulated behaviors.^[3] Using two different genetically modified mutant mouse lines (Chrna2L9'S/L9'S and Chrna2KO), findings highlight that α2* nAChRs influence hippocampus-dependent learning and memory and CA1 synaptic plasticity in adolescent mice. ^[4]

See also

• Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Further reading

• Hogg RC, Raggenbass M, Bertrand D . Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: from structure to brain function . Rev. Physiol. Biochem. Pharmacol. . 147 . 1–46 . 2003 . 12783266 . 10.1007/s10254-003-0005-1 . Reviews of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology . 978-3-540-01365-5 .
• Wood S, Schertzer M, Yaremko ML . Identification of the human neuronal nicotinic cholinergic alpha 2 receptor locus, (CHRNA2), within an 8p21 mapped locus, by sequence homology with rat DNA . Somat. Cell Mol. Genet. . 21 . 2 . 147–50 . 1995 . 7570187 . 10.1007/BF02255790 . 28611125 .
• García-Colunga J, Miledi R . Effects of serotonergic agents on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 92 . 7 . 2919–23 . 1995 . 7708749 . 10.1073/pnas.92.7.2919 . 42330 . 1995PNAS...92.2919G . free .
• Elliott KJ, Ellis SB, Berckhan KJ . Comparative structure of human neuronal alpha 2-alpha 7 and beta 2-beta 4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits and functional expression of the alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 7, beta 2, and beta 4 subunits . J. Mol. Neurosci. . 7 . 3 . 217–28 . 1997 . 8906617 . 10.1007/BF02736842 . 45737923 . etal.
• Chavez-Noriega LE, Crona JH, Washburn MS . Pharmacological characterization of recombinant human neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors h alpha 2 beta 2, h alpha 2 beta 4, h alpha 3 beta 2, h alpha 3 beta 4, h alpha 4 beta 2, h alpha 4 beta 4 and h alpha 7 expressed in Xenopus oocytes . J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. . 280 . 1 . 346–56 . 1997 . 8996215 . etal.
• Navaneetham D, Penn A, Howard J, Conti-Fine BM . Expression of the alpha 7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in normal and myasthenic human thymuses . Cell. Mol. Biol. (Noisy-le-grand) . 43 . 3 . 433–42 . 1997 . 9193799 .
• Sato KZ, Fujii T, Watanabe Y . Diversity of mRNA expression for muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in human mononuclear leukocytes and leukemic cell lines . Neurosci. Lett. . 266 . 1 . 17–20 . 1999 . 10336173 . 10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00259-1 . 43548155 . etal.
• Bertrand D, Picard F, Le Hellard S . How mutations in the nAChRs can cause ADNFLE epilepsy . Epilepsia . 43 . 112–22 . 2002 . Suppl 5 . 12121305 . 10.1046/j.1528-1157.43.s.5.16.x . 32858402 . etal. free .
• Jin P, Fu GK, Wilson AD . PCR isolation and cloning of novel splice variant mRNAs from known drug target genes . Genomics . 83 . 4 . 566–71 . 2004 . 15028279 . 10.1016/j.ygeno.2003.09.023 . etal.
• Kimura K, Wakamatsu A, Suzuki Y . Diversification of transcriptional modulation: Large-scale identification and characterization of putative alternative promoters of human genes . Genome Res. . 16 . 1 . 55–65 . 2006 . 16344560 . 10.1101/gr.4039406 . 1356129 . etal.
• Nusbaum C, Mikkelsen TS, Zody MC . DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 8 . Nature . 439 . 7074 . 331–5 . 2006 . 16421571 . 10.1038/nature04406 . 2006Natur.439..331N . etal. free .
• Aridon P, Marini C, Di Resta C . Increased Sensitivity of the Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor α2 Subunit Causes Familial Epilepsy with Nocturnal Wandering and Ictal Fear . Am. J. Hum. Genet. . 79 . 2 . 342–50 . 2006 . 16826524 . 10.1086/506459 . 1559502 . etal.

Notes and References

1. Anand R, Lindstrom J . Chromosomal localization of seven neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes in humans . Genomics . 13 . 4 . 962–7 . Sep 1992 . 1505988 . 10.1016/0888-7543(92)90008-G .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: CHRNA2 cholinergic receptor, nicotinic, alpha 2 (neuronal).
3. Lotfipour S, Byun JS, Leach P, Fowler CD, Murphy NP, Kenny PJ, Gould TJ, Boulter J . Targeted Deletion of the Mouse α2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit Gene (Chrna2) Potentiates Nicotine-Modulated Behaviors . J. Neurosci. . 33 . 18 . 7728–41 . May 2013 . 23637165 . 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4731-12.2013 . 3831006.
4. Lotfipour S, Mojica C, Nakauchi S, Lipovsek M, Silverstein S, Cushman J, Tirtorahardjo J, Poulos A, Elgoyhen AB, Sumikawa K, Fanselow MS, Boulter J . α2* Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors influence hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in adolescent mice. . Learn Mem . 24 . 6 . 231–244 . May 2017 . 28507032 . 10.1101/lm.045369.117 . 5435881.