Nerve growth factor increases nicotinic ACh receptor gene expression and current density in wild-type and protein kinase A-deficient PC12 cells.

Although neuronal nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChR) play a key role in synaptic transmission and information transfer in the nervous system, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that govern the expression of the multiple subunits that form the receptors and determine their functional properties. Using electrophysiological and molecular biological approaches, we have investigated the NGF-mediated regulation of nAChR expression in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and protein kinase A (PKA)-deficient PC12 cells. We report that NGF treatment increases steady state levels of mRNA encoding the alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 7, beta 2, and beta 4 subunits, increases the occurrence of ACh-induced single-channel activity in excised patches, and increases ACh-induced macroscopic current density, all by mechanisms independent of PKA activity.