Novel modulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by association with the endogenous prototoxin lynx1

Inés Ibañez-Tallon, Julie M. Miwa, Hai Long Wang, Niels C. Adams, Gregg W. Crabtree, Steven M. Sine, Nathaniel Heintz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

159 Scopus citations

Abstract

We previously identified lynx1 as a neuronal membrane molecule related to snake α-neurotoxins able to modulate nAChRs. Here, we show that lynx1 colocalizes with nAChRs on CNS neurons and physically associates with nAChRs. Single-channel recordings show that lynx1 promotes the largest of three current amplitudes elicited by ACh through α4β2 nAChRs and that lynx1 enhances desensitization. Macroscopic recordings quantify the enhancement of desensitization onset by lynx1 and further show that it slows recovery from desensitization and increases the EC50. These experiments establish that direct interaction of lynx1 with nAChRs can result in a novel type of functional modulation and suggest that prototoxins may play important roles in vivo by modulating functional properties of their cognate CNS receptors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)893-903
Number of pages11
JournalNeuron
Volume33
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 14 2002

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Novel modulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by association with the endogenous prototoxin lynx1'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this