Vallés Ana S, Barrantes Francisco J
Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012 Mar;1818(3):718-29. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.10.012. Epub 2011 Oct 22.
The α7 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) is one of the most abundant members of the Cys-loop family of receptors present in the central nervous system. It participates in various physiological processes and has received much attention as a potential therapeutic target for a variety of pathologies. The importance of understanding the mechanisms controlling AChR assembly and cell-surface delivery lies in the fact that these two processes are key to determining the functional pool of receptors actively engaged in synaptic transmission. Here we review recent studies showing that RIC-3, a protein originally identified in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, modulates the expression of α7 AChRs in a subtype-specific manner. Potentiation of AChR expression by post-transcriptional events is also critically assessed.
烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体（AChRs）的α7亚型是中枢神经系统中存在的半胱氨酸环受体家族中含量最丰富的成员之一。它参与各种生理过程，并作为多种疾病的潜在治疗靶点受到了广泛关注。了解控制AChR组装和细胞表面转运机制的重要性在于，这两个过程是决定积极参与突触传递的受体功能库的关键。在这里，我们回顾了最近的研究，这些研究表明，RIC-3（一种最初在秀丽隐杆线虫中发现的蛋白质）以亚型特异性方式调节α7 AChRs的表达。我们还对转录后事件对AChR表达的增强作用进行了严格评估。
