Open AccessSubunit profiling and functional characteristics of acetylcholine receptors in GT1-7 cells
Author(s) -
Yuki Arai,
Hirotaka Ishii,
Makito Kobayashi,
Hitoshi Ozawa
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of physiological sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.968
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1880-6562
pISSN - 1880-6546
DOI - 10.1007/s12576-016-0464-1
Subject(s) - muscarinic acetylcholine receptor , acetylcholine , acetylcholine receptor , cholinergic , nicotinic acetylcholine receptor , receptor , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor m5 , secretion , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , nicotinic agonist , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor m2 , forskolin , endocrinology , chemistry , protein subunit , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor m3 , biology , biochemistry , gene
GnRH neurons form a final common pathway for the central regulation of reproduction. Although the involvement of acetylcholine in GnRH secretion has been reported, direct effects of acetylcholine and expression profiles of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) still remain to be studied. Using immortalized GnRH neurons (GT1-7 cells), we analyzed molecular expression and functionality of AChRs. Expression of the mRNAs were identified in the order α7 > β2 = β1 ≧ α4 ≧ α5 = β4 = δ > α3 for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits and m4 > m2 for muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes. Furthermore, this study revealed that α7 nAChRs contributed to Ca 2+ influx and GnRH release and that m2 and m4 mAChRs inhibited forskolin-induced cAMP production and isobutylmethylxanthine-induced GnRH secretion. These findings demonstrate the molecular profiles of AChRs, which directly contribute to GnRH secretion in GT1-7 cells, and provide one possible regulatory action of acetylcholine in GnRH neurons.