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Updated: May 10, 2026

Utilizing pHluorin-tagged Receptors to Monitor Subcellular Localization and Trafficking
Published on: March 16, 2017
Biogenesis, trafficking and up-regulation of nicotinic ACh receptors
Sara Francesca Colombo1, Francesca Mazzo, Fancesco Pistillo
1Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
Chronic nicotine exposure gives rise to neural adaptations that change whole cell physiology and behaviour mainly by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The major nicotine-induced neuroadaptation is the up-regulation of brain nAChRs by means of cell-delimited post-translational mechanisms. We review what is known of the processes regulating nAChR assembly, degradation and trafficking, and how nicotine-induced modulation of these processes leads to nAChR up-regulation and changes in downstream neuronal plasticity at molecular, cellular and circuit level.
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