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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Feb 18.
Published in final edited form as: Neuroscience. 2008 Nov 21;158(4):1521–1529. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.11.027

Table 1.

Expression intensities of nAChR subunit mRNAs in the enteric nervous system relative to their expression in peripheral ganglia (set as 100% for each subunit, derived from the analysis of autoradiograms, n=3).

NAChR Subunit Stomach MP Small intestine MP Small intestine SMP Large intestine MP Large intestine SMP
α2 - - ++* - ++*
α3 ++ ++ + ++ +
α4 - - - - -
α5 ++ ++ + ++ +
α6 - - - - -
α7 + + - + -
β2 + + - + -
β3 - - - - -
β4 ++ ++ + ++ +

- no detectable expression; + low (less than 15%); ++ moderate (20 to 35%); +++ high expression (> 35% of expression in PNS ganglia);

*

=α2 mRNA located in submucosal lining near the lumen. MP, myenteric plexus; SMP, submucosal plexus.

Note: The expression intensities are not compared between but within subunits to estimate their relative expression. Hybridization intensity in a single layer of neurons (ganglion cells in plexi) will appear lower in autoradiograms than in an area of tightly packed neurons (PNS ganglia), therefore, expression intensities might be underestimated.