The alpha 9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor shares pharmacological properties with type a gamma-aminobutyric acid, glycine, and type 3 serotonin receptors
Cv. Rothlin et al., The alpha 9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor shares pharmacological properties with type a gamma-aminobutyric acid, glycine, and type 3 serotonin receptors, MOLEC PHARM, 55(2), 1999, pp. 248-254
In the present study, we provide evidence that the alpha 9 nicotinic acetyl
choline receptor (nAChR) shares pharmacological properties with members of
the Cys-loop family of receptors. Thus, the type A gamma-aminobutyric acid
receptor antagonist bicuculline, the glycinergic antagonist strychnine, and
the type 3 serotonin receptor antagonist ICS-205,930 block ACh-evoked curr
ents in alpha 9-injected Xenopus laevis oocytes with the following rank ord
er of potency: strychnine > ICS-205,930 > bicuculline. Block by antagonists
was reflected in an increase in the acetylcholine (ACh) EC50 value, with n
o changes in agonist maximal response or Hill coefficient, which suggests a
competitive type of block. Moreover, whereas neither gamma-aminobutyric ac
id nor glycine modified ACh-evoked currents, serotonin blocked responses to
ACh in a concentration-dependent manner. The present results suggest that
the alpha 9 nAChR must conserve in its primary structure some residues resp
onsible for ligand binding common to other Cys-loop receptors. In addition,
it adds further evidence that the alpha 9 nAChR and the cholinergic recept
or present at the base of cochlear outer hair cells have similar pharmacolo
gical properties.