Patent ID: 6440681
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: C07K,G01N

Abstract:
A method for identifying compounds that are antagonists or agonists of human neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nNAChRs), said method comprising:a) contacting recombinant cells with a test compound, wherein: the recombinant cells are produced by transfection with nucleic acid encoding at least one human nNAChR subunit; wherein the at least one subunit is an &agr;2 subunit; the recombinant cells express an nNAChR comprising at least one human subunit encoded by the transfected nucleic acid; and the expressed nNAChR comprises at least one nNAChR &agr; subunit; and b) measuring ion flux, the electrophysiological response of the cells, or binding of the test compound to the nNAChR, whereby agonist or antagonists of the nNAChR are identified, wherein; the &agr;2 subunit comprises a sequence of amino acids having more than 95% identity with amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No.2; or the &agr;2 subunit is encoded by a sequence of nucleotides that hybridizes under conditions of high stringency with the complement of nucleotides 166-1755 set forth in SEQ ID No. 1 or shares at least about 90% identity to nucleotides 166-1755 in SEQ ID No: 1; or the &agr;2 subunit is encoded by the nucleotides of 166-1755 of SEQ ID No. 1.