extracellular domain of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha 2 (CHRNA2)
This subfamily contains the extracellular domain of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha 2 (alpha2), encoded by the CHRNA2 gene. It is specifically expressed in medial subpallium-derived amygdalar nuclei from early developmental stages to adult. This subunit is incorporated in heteropentameric neuronal nAChRs mainly with beta2 or beta4 subunits and, along with the alpha4 and alpha7, is one of the main nAChR subunits expressed in primate brain. In Xenopus laevis oocytes, when alpha2 is co-expressed with the beta2 subunit, two subtypes of alpha2beta2 nAChR are formed with either low or high ACh sensitivity. Mouse mutation studies show that alpha2 subunits in the nAChRs influence hippocampus-dependent learning and memory as well as CA1 synaptic plasticity in adolescent mice.
Structure:5FJV: Homo sapiens neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-2 (alpha2) ligand binding domain interacts with adjacent subunits and forms a pentamer; contacts at 4.0A
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",