Alpha-7 nicotinic receptor

The alpha-7 nicotinic receptor (α7)₅ is a type of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, consisting entirely of α7 subunits ^[1].

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It is located in the brain, where activation yields post- and presynaptic excitation^[1], mainly by increased Ca²⁺ permeability.

Agonists

Nicotinic agonists for this receptor include:

epibatidine
dimethylphenylpiperazinium

Antagonists

mecamylamine
α-bungarotoxin

alpha-conotoxin ArIB[V11L,V16D]^[2]

2. Whiteaker P, Christensen S, Yoshikami D, Dowell C, Watkins M, Gulyas J, Rivier J, Olivera BM, McIntosh JM. Discovery, synthesis, and structure activity of a highly selective alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist. Biochemistry. 2007 Jun 5;46(22):6628-38.

^ ^a ^b Pharmacology, (Rang, Dale, Ritter & Moore, ISBN 0443071454, 5:th ed., Churchill Livingstone 2003) Page 138.

v • d • e Ion channel, receptor: ligand-gated ion channels
Cys-loop receptors	5-HT receptor (5-HT₃ serotonin receptor (A)) - GABA receptor (GABA A (α₁, α₂, α₃, α₅, α₆, β₁, β₂, β₃, γ₂, ε), GABA C (ρ₁)) - Glycine receptor (α₁) - Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α1, α2, α3, α4, α5, α7, β2, β3, β4, δ, ε, (α4)₂(β2)₃, (α7)₅, Ganglion type, Muscle type)
Ionotropic glutamate receptors	AMPA (1, 2, 3, 4) - Kainate (1, 2) - NMDA (1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D)
ATP-gated channels	Purinergic receptors (P2X (1, 4, 5, 7))