Table 1.
Expression levels of α6* nAChRs in α6-GFP mice determined by radioligand binding assays
| [125I]-Epibatidine binding | Control | α6-GFP |
|---|---|---|
| CX MII-res | 63.3 ± 8.2 | 55.0 ± 9.5 |
| CX MII-sens | 2.0 ± 2.2 | 0.2 ± 0.9 |
| TH MII-res | 101.4 ± 15.6 | 99.9 ± 4.1 |
| TH MII-sens | 5.3 ± 2.7 | 9.8 ± 1.1 |
| ST MII-res | 45.6 ± 4.9 | 42.5 ± 2.4 |
| ST MII-sens | 7.1 ± 0.9 | 10.5 ± 0.8 |
| OT MII-res | 30.3 ± 1.9 | 28.6 ± 2.3 |
| OT MII-sens | 7.1 ± 1.1 | 6.5 ± 0.7 |
| SC MII-res | 73.2 ± 13.0 | 81.7 ± 6.1 |
| SC MII-sens | 15.1 ± 1.8 | 12.7 ± 7.3 |
| vMB MII-res | 81.7 ± 6.8 | 87.1 ± 7.6 |
| vMB MII-sens | 6.0 ± 1.7 | 5.8 ± 2.1 |
| CX cyt-res | −0.6 ± 0.7 | −0.2 ± 0.5 |
| CX cyt-sens | 65.9 ± 1.0 | 55.4 ± 0.8 |
| TH cyt-res | 4.3 ± 1.8 | 5.0 ± 1.4 |
| TH cyt-sens | 102.4 ± 2.6 | 104.6 ± 2.1 |
| ST cyt-res | 2.1 ± 0.0 | 2.1 ± 0.2 |
| ST cyt-sens | 47.5 ± 0.3 | 52.3 ± 0.0 |
| OT cyt-res | 3.8 ± 0.6 | 4.3 ± 0.5 |
| OT cyt-sens | 34.4 ± 0.9 | 29.6 ± 0.7 |
| SC cyt-res | 4.9 ± 1.2 | 4.8 ± 0.2 |
| SC cyt-sens | 79.0 ± 2.0 | 86.9 ± 0.8 |
| vMB cyt-res | 3.9 ± 0.8 | 3.9 ± 0.8 |
| vMB cyt-sens | 84.0 ± 2.0 | 89.0 ± 0.8 |
Each indicated brain region was dissected and the tissue was prepared for binding experiments as described in Materials and Methods. Samples were labeled with [125I]-epibatidine with or without competition with excess, unlabeled αCtxMII or cytisine. αCtxMII and cytisine-sensitive and -resistant components are shown. For all experiments, data from groups of α6-GFP and control (nontransgenic) littermate mice were compared. CX, cortex; OT, olfactory tubercle; SC, superior colliculus; ST, dorsal striatum; TH, thalamus; vMB, ventral midbrain. Data (in fmol/mg protein) are mean ± SEM (n = 5 mice).