␣7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) modulate network activity in the CNS. Thus, functional regulation of ␣7 nAChRs could influence the flow of information through various brain nuclei. It is hypothesized here that these receptors are amenable to modulation by tyrosine phosphorylation. In both Xenopus oocytes and rat hippocampal interneurons, brief exposure to a broad-spectrum protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, specifically and reversibly potentiated ␣7 nAChR-mediated responses, whereas a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, pervanadate, caused depression. Potentiation was associated with an increased expression of surface ␣7 subunits and was not accompanied by detectable changes in receptor open probability, implying that the increased function results from an increased number of ␣7 nAChRs. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor-mediated exocytosis was shown to be a plausible mechanism for the rapid delivery of additional ␣7 nAChRs to the plasma membrane. Direct phosphorylation/ dephosphorylation of ␣7 subunits was unlikely because mutation of all three cytoplasmic tyrosine residues did not prevent the genisteinmediated facilitation. Overall, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that the number of functional cell surface ␣7 nAChRs is controlled indirectly via processes involving tyrosine phosphorylation.
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