Expression and function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in specific neuronal populations: Focus on striatal and prefrontal circuits

0586757 - FGÚ 2025 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Abbondanza, Alice - Urushadze, Anna - Alves-Barboza, Amanda Rosanna - Janíčková, Helena
Expression and function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in specific neuronal populations: Focus on striatal and prefrontal circuits.
Pharmacological Research. Roč. 204, June (2024), č. článku 107190. ISSN 1043-6618. E-ISSN 1096-1186
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LX22NPO5104
Institutional support: RVO:67985823
Keywords : nicotinic acetylcholine receptors * cholinergic system * striatum * prefrontal cortex * interneurons * expression
OECD category: Neurosciences (including psychophysiology
Impact factor: 9.3, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107190

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are widely expressed in the central nervous system and play an important role in the control of neural functions including neuronal activity, transmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Although the common subtypes of nAChRs are abundantly expressed throughout the brain, their expression in different brain regions and by individual neuronal types is not homogeneous or incidental. In recent years, several studies have emerged showing that particular subtypes of nAChRs are expressed by specific neuronal populations in which they have major influence on the activity of local circuits and behavior. It has been demonstrated that even nAChRs expressed by relatively rare neuronal types can induce significant changes in behavior and contribute to pathological processes. Depending on the identity and connectivity of the particular nAChRs-expressing neuronal populations, the activation of nAChRs can have distinct or even opposing effects on local neuronal signaling. In this review, we will summarize the available literature describing the expression of individual nicotinic subunits by different neuronal types in two crucial brain regions, the striatum and the prefrontal cortex. The review will also briefly discuss nicotinic expression in nonneuronal, glial cells, as they cannot be ignored as potential targets of nAChRs-modulating drugs. The final section will discuss options that could allow us to target nAChRs in a neuronaltypespecific manner, not only in the experimental field, but also eventually in clinical practice.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0354214