A human-specific, truncated α7 nicotinic receptor subunit assembles with full-length α7 and forms functional receptors with different stoichiometries

Abstract

The cholinergic 7 nicotinic receptor gene, CHRNA7, encodes a subunit that forms the homopentameric 7 receptor, involved in learning and memory. In humans, exons 5-10 in CHRNA7 are duplicated and fused to the FAM7A genetic element, giving rise to the hybrid gene CHRFAM7A. Its product, dup7, is a truncated subunit lacking part of the N-terminal extracellular ligand-binding domain and is associated with neurological disorders, including schizophrenia, and immunomodulation.