Differential co-localization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits with calcium-binding proteins in retinal ganglion cells

Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the co-occuurence of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits with calcium-binding proteins in ganglion cells of the chick retina. The alpha 3 subunit was rarely observed in ganglion cells containing calbindin, calretinin, or parvalbumin, On the other hand, the alpha 8 subunit was more often co-localized with all calcium-binding proteins studied. These results may be related to the high calcium permeability of nicotinic receptors that contain the alpha 8 subunit. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.