α5 nAChR modulation of the prefrontal cortex makes attention resilient

A loss-of-function polymorphism in the α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit gene has been linked to both drug abuse and schizophrenia. The α5 nAChR subunit is strategically positioned in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where a loss-of-function in this subunit may contribute to cognitive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain Structure and Function 2018-03, Vol.223 (2), p.1035-1047
Main Authors: Howe, William M., Brooks, Julie L., Tierney, Patrick L., Pang, Jincheng, Rossi, Amie, Young, Damon, Dlugolenski, Keith, Guillmette, Ed, Roy, Marc, Hales, Katherine, Kozak, Rouba
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylcholine - pharmacology
Acetylcholine receptors (nicotinic)
Animals
Attention - physiology
Attention task
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cell Biology
Cells, Cultured
Cognitive ability
Drug abuse
Embryo, Mammalian
Gene polymorphism
Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics
Green Fluorescent Proteins - metabolism
In Vitro Techniques
Male
Mental disorders
Neurology
Neuromodulation
Neurosciences
Nicotine - pharmacology
Nicotinic Agonists - pharmacology
Prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal Cortex - cytology
Prefrontal Cortex - metabolism
Pyramidal Cells - drug effects
Pyramidal Cells - physiology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, Nicotinic - metabolism
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
RNA, Small Interfering - genetics
RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism
RNA-mediated interference
Rodents
Schizophrenia
Short Communication
Task Performance and Analysis
Transduction, Genetic
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Summary:A loss-of-function polymorphism in the α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit gene has been linked to both drug abuse and schizophrenia. The α5 nAChR subunit is strategically positioned in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where a loss-of-function in this subunit may contribute to cognitive disruptions in both disorders. However, the specific contribution of α5 to PFC-dependent cognitive functions has yet to be illustrated. In the present studies, we used RNA interference to knockdown the α5 nAChR subunit in the PFC of adult rats. We provide evidence that through its contribution to cholinergic modulation of cholinergic modulation of neurons in the PFC, the α5 nAChR plays a specific role in the recovery of attention task performance following distraction. Our combined data reveal the potent ability of this subunit to modulate the PFC and cognitive functions controlled by this brain region that are impaired in disease.
ISSN:1863-2653
1863-2661
0340-2061
DOI:10.1007/s00429-017-1601-1