Functional deactivation of the major neuronal nicotinic receptor caused by nicotine and a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism

The effect of nicotine on the major human neuronal nicotinic receptor (alpha 4 beta 2 subtype) was studied in permanently transfected HEK 293 cells. Prolonged exposure to low concentrations of nicotine(1 mu M) increased epibatidine binding but functionally deactivated the nicotinic receptor, abolishing Ca2+ influx in response to an acute nicotine challenge. Deactivation could also be caused by down-regulating protein kinase C (PKC) activity with 0.5 mu M phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate or briefly incubating cells with the PKC inhibitor NPC-15437. Recovery from receptor deactivation caused by either nicotine treatment or PKC inhibition occurred slowly (4-6 hr). Reversal of nicotine-induced deactivation was accelerated by the addition of inhibitors of protein phosphatases 2A and 2B. These data suggest a hypothetical mechanism of nicotine-induced deactivation that involves dephosphorylation of nicotinic receptors at PKC phosphorylation sites.