The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, of George Mason University

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Krasnow Institute > Monday Seminars > Abstracts

Nicotinic Receptors in Light of Proteomics

Nadine Kabbani

 

Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Neuroscience
George Mason University


Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are key molecular components of the cholinergic system, which modulates responses in both neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. In humans and other species, nAChRs function as fast acting, ligand-gated, cation channels that are activated by the endogenous transmitter acetylcholine and by the common substance of abuse nicotine. I will discuss our recent findings on the mechanisms of nAChR function in neuronal and immune cells as revealed by an interaction proteomics (interactomics) method. The proteomic data presents a snap shot of the intracellular interaction network that can contribute to the signaling and regulatory properties of nACRs in neural and immune cells. These studies may also contribute to therapeutic drug development targeting the cholinergic system, and to the identification of new biomarkers for various neural and immune system related disorders.

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