Structure and gating mechanism of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor plays critical roles in the central nervous system and in the cholinergic inflammatory pathway. This ligand-gated ion channel assembles as a homopentamer, is exceptionally permeable to Ca, and desensitizes faster than any other Cys-loop receptor. The α7 receptor has served as a prototype for the Cys-loop superfamily yet has proven refractory to structural analysis.

Agonist Selectivity and Ion Permeation in the α3β4 Ganglionic Nicotinic Receptor.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are pentameric ion channels that mediate fast chemical neurotransmission. The α3β4 nicotinic receptor subtype forms the principal relay between the central and peripheral nervous systems in the autonomic ganglia. This receptor is also expressed focally in brain areas that affect reward circuits and addiction.