RIC3 explained

RIC-3 also known as resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 3 is a chaperone protein that in humans is encoded by the RIC3 gene. The RIC3 gene was first discovered in C. elegans.^[1] RIC-3 protein is conserved in most animals and influences the maturation of various ligand gated ion channels including the serotonin 5-HT₃ receptor and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors,^{[2] [3]} particularly the homomeric α₇ nicotinic receptor. RIC-3 enhances currents generated by these receptors by expediting receptor transport to the cell surface and by increasing receptor number.^[4]

Further reading

• Cheng A, Bollan KA, Greenwood SM, etal . Differential subcellular localization of RIC-3 isoforms and their role in determining 5-HT3 receptor composition. . J. Biol. Chem. . 282 . 36 . 26158–66 . 2007 . 17609200 . 10.1074/jbc.M703899200 . free .
• Castillo M, Mulet J, Gutiérrez LM, etal . Role of the RIC-3 protein in trafficking of serotonin and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. . J. Mol. Neurosci. . 30 . 1–2 . 153–6 . 2007 . 17192664 . 10.1385/JMN:30:1:153 . 41109579 .
• Lansdell SJ, Gee VJ, Harkness PC, etal . RIC-3 enhances functional expression of multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in mammalian cells . Mol. Pharmacol. . 68 . 5 . 1431–8 . 2005 . 16120769 . 10.1124/mol.105.017459 . 12901942 .
• Castillo M, Mulet J, Gutiérrez LM, etal . Dual role of the RIC-3 protein in trafficking of serotonin and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors . J. Biol. Chem. . 280 . 29 . 27062–8 . 2005 . 15927954 . 10.1074/jbc.M503746200 . free . 10261/307538 . free .
• Cheng A, McDonald NA, Connolly CN . Cell surface expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptors is promoted by RIC-3 . J. Biol. Chem. . 280 . 23 . 22502–7 . 2005 . 15809299 . 10.1074/jbc.M414341200 . free .
• Bennett HM, Lees K, etal . Xenopus laevis RIC-3 enhances the functional expression of the C. elegans homomeric nicotinic receptor, ACR-16, in Xenopus oocytes . J. Neurochem. . 123 . 6 . 911–8 . 2012 . 22970690 . 10.1111/jnc.12013 . 3549563.
• Koperniak TM, Garg BK, etal . Cell-specific effects on surface α7 nicotinic receptor expression revealed by over-expression and knockdown of rat RIC3 protein . J. Neurochem. . 124 . 3 . 300–9 . 2013 . 23157401 . 10.1111/jnc.12095 . 12489865 . free .
• Ota T, Suzuki Y, Nishikawa T, etal . Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs . Nat. Genet. . 36 . 1 . 40–5 . 2004 . 14702039 . 10.1038/ng1285 . free .
• Clark HF, Gurney AL, Abaya E, etal . The secreted protein discovery initiative (SPDI), a large-scale effort to identify novel human secreted and transmembrane proteins: a bioinformatics assessment . Genome Res. . 13 . 10 . 2265–70 . 2003 . 12975309 . 10.1101/gr.1293003 . 403697 .
• Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH, etal . 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 . free .

Notes and References

1. Nguyen M, Alfonso A, Johnson CD, Rand JB . Caenorhabditis elegans mutants resistant to inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase . Genetics . 140 . 2 . 527–35 . Jun 1995 . 10.1093/genetics/140.2.527 . 7498734 . 1206632.
2. Halevi S, Yassin L, Eshel M, Sala F, Sala S, Criado M, Treinin M . Conservation within the RIC-3 gene family. Effectors of mammalian nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression . J Biol Chem . 278 . 36 . 34411–7 . Sep 2003 . 12821669 . 10.1074/jbc.M300170200 . free . 10261/289220 . free .
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: RIC3 resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 3 homolog (C. elegans).
4. Williams ME, Burton B, Urrutia A, etal . Ric-3 promotes functional expression of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunit in mammalian cells . J. Biol. Chem. . 280 . 2 . 1257–63 . 2005 . 15504725 . 10.1074/jbc.M410039200 . free .