RIC-3 differentially modulates α4β2 and α7 nicotinic receptor assembly, expression, and nicotine-induced receptor upregulation

Abstract

These results provide interesting novel data that RIC-3 differentially regulates assembly and expression of different nicotinic receptor subunits. These results also show that nicotine-mediated upregulation of α4β2 receptors can be dynamically regulated by the presence of the chaperone, RIC-3. This could explain a novel mechanism why high affinity α4β2 receptors are upregulated in specific neuronal subtypes in the brain and not others.