Assembly and trafficking of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (Review)

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are members of an extensive super-family of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels. In humans, nAChRs are expressed within the nervous system and at the neuromuscular junction and are important targets for pharmaceutical drug discovery. They are also the site of action for neuroactive pesticides in insects and other invertebrates. Nicotinic receptors are complex pentameric transmembrane proteins which are assembled from a large family of subunits; seventeen nAChR subunits (alpha 1-alpha 10,beta 1-beta 4, gamma, delta and epsilon) have been identified in vertebrate species. This review will discuss nAChR subunit diversity and factors influencing receptor assembly and trafficking.