CHRNB2 explained

Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit beta-2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CHRNB2 gene.^{[1] [2]}

Neuronal acetylcholine receptors are homo- or heteropentameric complexes composed of homologous alpha and beta subunits. They belong to a superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels which allow the flow of sodium and potassium across the plasma membrane in response to ligands such as acetylcholine and nicotine. This gene encodes one of several beta subunits. Mutations in this gene are associated with autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy.

It has been discovered that suppression, rather than stimulation, of B2-containing nAChR currents yields an antidepressant effect. This is believed to explain the significantly increased prevalence of cigarette smoking in depressed individuals and the profound rise in depressive symptoms during abstinence.

See also

• Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Further reading

• Skorupska E, Rózycka A, Trzeciak WH . [Molecular and genetic basis of idiopathic nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy] . Neurol. Neurochir. Pol. . 36 . 3 . 513–25 . 2002 . 12185808 .
• Bracci L, Lozzi L, Rustici M, Neri P . Binding of HIV-1 gp120 to the nicotinic receptor . FEBS Lett. . 311 . 2 . 115–8 . 1992 . 1397297 . 10.1016/0014-5793(92)81380-5 . free . 1992FEBSL.311..115B .
• Anand R, Lindstrom J . Nucleotide sequence of the human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor beta 2 subunit gene . Nucleic Acids Res. . 18 . 14 . 4272 . 1990 . 2377478 . 10.1093/nar/18.14.4272 . 331211 .
• 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.
• Groot Kormelink PJ, Luyten WH . Cloning and sequence of full-length cDNAs encoding the human neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits beta3 and beta4 and expression of seven nAChR subunits in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y and/or IMR-32 . FEBS Lett. . 400 . 3 . 309–14 . 1997 . 9009220 . 10.1016/S0014-5793(96)01383-X . 82364119 .
• Rempel N, Heyers S, Engels H . The structures of the human neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor beta2- and alpha3-subunit genes (CHRNB2 and CHRNA3) . Hum. Genet. . 103 . 6 . 645–53 . 1999 . 9921897 . 10.1007/s004390050885 . 23791981 . etal.
• Lueders KK, Elliott RW, Marenholz I . Genomic organization and mapping of the human and mouse neuronal beta2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes . Mamm. Genome . 10 . 9 . 900–5 . 1999 . 10441742 . 10.1007/s003359901111 . 13160005 . etal.
• Steinlein OK . Neuronal nicotinic receptors in human epilepsy . Eur. J. Pharmacol. . 393 . 1–3 . 243–7 . 2000 . 10771020 . 10.1016/S0014-2999(00)00065-0 .
• De Fusco M, Becchetti A, Patrignani A . The nicotinic receptor beta 2 subunit is mutant in nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy . Nat. Genet. . 26 . 3 . 275–6 . 2000 . 11062464 . 10.1038/81566 . 21818633 . etal.
• Phillips HA, Favre I, Kirkpatrick M . CHRNB2 is the second acetylcholine receptor subunit associated with autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy . Am. J. Hum. Genet. . 68 . 1 . 225–31 . 2001 . 11104662 . 10.1086/316946 . 1234917 . etal.
• Samochocki M, Zerlin M, Jostock R . Galantamine is an allosterically potentiating ligand of the human alpha4/beta2 nAChR . Acta Neurol. Scand. Suppl. . 176 . 68–73 . 2001 . 11261808 . 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2000.00310.x. 39916984 . etal.
  • Lueders KK, Hu S, McHugh L . Genetic and functional analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the beta2-neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene (CHRNB2) . Nicotine Tob. Res. . 4 . 1 . 115–25 . 2002 . 11906688 . 10.1080/14622200110098419 . etal.
• Duga S, Asselta R, Bonati MT . Mutational analysis of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor beta2 subunit gene (CHRNB2) in a representative cohort of Italian probands affected by autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy . Epilepsia . 43 . 4 . 362–4 . 2002 . 11952766 . 10.1046/j.1528-1157.2002.39001.x . 34970690 . etal. free .
• Heeschen C, Weis M, Aicher A . A novel angiogenic pathway mediated by non-neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors . J. Clin. Invest. . 110 . 4 . 527–36 . 2002 . 12189247 . 10.1172/JCI14676 . 150415 . etal.
• Lin L, Jeanclos EM, Treuil M . The calcium sensor protein visinin-like protein-1 modulates the surface expression and agonist sensitivity of the alpha 4beta 2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor . J. Biol. Chem. . 277 . 44 . 41872–8 . 2003 . 12202488 . 10.1074/jbc.M206857200 . etal. free .
• Kawamata J, Shimohama S . Association of novel and established polymorphisms in neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with sporadic Alzheimer's disease . J. Alzheimers Dis. . 4 . 2 . 71–6 . 2002 . 12214130 . 10.3233/JAD-2002-4201. 2433/149693 . free .
• Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH . Generation and initial analysis of more than 15,000 full-length human and mouse cDNA sequences . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 99 . 26 . 16899–903 . 2003 . 12477932 . 10.1073/pnas.242603899 . 139241 . 2002PNAS...9916899M . etal. free .

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: CHRNB2 cholinergic receptor, nicotinic, beta 2 (neuronal).