Characterization of human alpha 4 beta 2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors stably and heterologously expressed in native nicotinic receptor-null SH-EP1 human epithelial cells.

Article Details

Citation

Eaton JB, Peng JH, Schroeder KM, George AA, Fryer JD, Krishnan C, Buhlman L, Kuo YP, Steinlein O, Lukas RJ

Characterization of human alpha 4 beta 2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors stably and heterologously expressed in native nicotinic receptor-null SH-EP1 human epithelial cells.

Mol Pharmacol. 2003 Dec;64(6):1283-94.

PubMed ID
14645658 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

Naturally expressed nicotinic acetylcholine receptors composed of alpha4 and beta2 subunits (alpha4beta2-nAChR) are the predominant form of high affinity nicotine binding site in the brain implicated in nicotine reward, mediation of nicotinic cholinergic transmission, modulation of signaling through other chemical messages, and a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. To develop a model system for studies of human alpha4beta2-nAChR allowing protein chemical, functional, pharmacological, and regulation of expression studies, human alpha4 and beta2 subunits were stably introduced into the native nAChR-null human epithelial cell line SHEP1. Heterologously expressed alpha4beta2-nAChR engage in high-affinity, specific binding of 3H-labeled epibatidine (H-EBDN; macroscopic KD = 10 pM; kon = 0.74/min/nM, koff = 0.013/min). Immunofluorescence studies show alpha4 and beta2 subunit protein expression in virtually every transfected cell, and microautoradiographic studies show expression of 125I-labeled iodo-deschloroepibatidine binding sites in most cells. H-EBDN binding competition studies reveal high affinity for nicotinic agonists and lower affinity for nicotinic antagonists. Heterologously expressed alpha4beta2-nAChR functional studies using 86Rb+ efflux assays indicate full efficacy of epibatidine, nicotine, and acetylcholine; partial efficacy for 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium, cytisine, and suberyldicholine; competitive antagonism by dihydro-beta-erythroidine, decamethonium, and methyllycaconitine; noncompetitive antagonism by mecamylamine and eserine; and mixed antagonism by pancuronium, hexamethonium, and d-tubocurarine. These results demonstrate utility of transfected SH-EP1 cells as models for studies of human alpha4beta2-nAChR, and they also reveal complex relationships between apparent affinities of drugs for radioligand binding and functional sites on human alpha4beta2-nAChR.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets
DrugTargetKindOrganismPharmacological ActionActions
DecamethoniumNeuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-4ProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails
DecamethoniumNeuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit beta-2ProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails
MecamylamineNeuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-4ProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails
MecamylamineNeuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit beta-2ProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails
PhysostigmineNeuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-4ProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails
PhysostigmineNeuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit beta-2ProteinHumans
Unknown
Not AvailableDetails