Biogenesis, trafficking and up-regulation of nicotinic ACh receptors

Chronic nicotine exposure gives rise to neural adaptations that change whole cell physiology and behaviour mainly by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The major nicotine-induced neuroadaptation is the up-regulation of brain nAChRs by means of cell-delimited post-translational mechanisms. We review what is known of the processes regulating nAChR assembly, degradation and trafficking, and how nicotine-induced modulation of these processes leads to nAChR up-regulation and changes in downstream neuronal plasticity at molecular, cellular and circuit level.