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Article Dans Une Revue Journal of Physiology - Paris Année : 2006

Nicotine enhances intracellular nicotinic receptor maturation: a novel mechanism of neural plasticity?

Résumé

Nicotine addiction, the primary cause of tobacco consumption, is mediated through nicotine binding to brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs). Upon chronic exposure, nicotine elicits a cascade of events, starting with nAChR activation and desensitization, followed by a long term up-regulation that corresponds to an increase in the number of the high affinity nAChRs, a paradoxical process that occurs in the brain of smokers. Recent investigation of the maturation and trafficking of the major brain alpha4beta2 nAChR demonstrates that up-regulation is initiated in the endoplasmic reticulum soon after protein translation. The data thus far accumulated provide evidence that nicotine elicits up-regulation by promoting maturation of nAChR precursors that would otherwise be degraded. This "maturational enhancer" action of nicotine probably contributes to the long term effect of chronic nicotine, and suggests a novel mechanism of neuronal plasticity through an yet unknown endogenous substance which would modulate the receptor expression under physiological conditions.

Domaines

Neurobiologie

Dates et versions

pasteur-00161479 , version 1 (10-07-2007)

Identifiants

Citer

Pierre-Jean Corringer, Jérôme Sallette, Jean-Pierre Changeux. Nicotine enhances intracellular nicotinic receptor maturation: a novel mechanism of neural plasticity?. Journal of Physiology - Paris, 2006, 99 (2-3), pp.162-71. ⟨10.1016/j.jphysparis.2005.12.012⟩. ⟨pasteur-00161479⟩
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