{"entity":{"id":"chrna3","kind":"target","name":"CHRNA3","aka":["cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 3 subunit","Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-3"],"tldr":"CHRNA3 (Neuronal acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha-3) is a gene. In the public catalogues the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role.","summary":"Component of neuronal acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) that function as pentameric, ligand-gated cation channels with high calcium permeability among other activities. nAChRs are excitatory neurotrasnmitter receptors formed by a collection of nAChR subunits known to mediate synaptic transmission in the nervous system and the neuromuscular junction. Each nAchR subunit confers differential attributes to channel properties, including activation, deactivation and desensitisation kinetics, pH sensitivity, cation permeability, and binding to allosteric modulators. CHRNA3 forms heteropentameric neuronal acetylcholine receptors with CHRNB2 and CHRNB4, with CHRNA5, and CHRNB3 as accesory subunits.\n\nOpen Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.51 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.70, animal model 0.48, genetic association 0.60, somatic mutation 0.28).","asOf":"2026-09-23","links":[{"label":"HGNC HGNC:1957","url":"https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:1957"},{"label":"UniProt P32297","url":"https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P32297/entry"},{"label":"NCBI Gene 1136","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1136"},{"label":"Ensembl ENSG00000080644","url":"https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000080644"}],"tags":["cancer-genes-wave"],"related":["open-targets"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":["Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: none stated by the sources. Evidence tier \"association-only\" is the strongest of those signals.","Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate."],"provenance":{"editedBy":"scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts (CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC, UniProt)","editedOn":"2026-09-23"},"symbol":"CHRNA3","role":[],"evidenceTier":"association-only","sources":[{"label":"HGNC HGNC:1957","url":"https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:1957","note":"approved symbol, name, aliases, locus and cross-references (hgnc_complete_set.txt)"},{"label":"UniProt P32297","url":"https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P32297/entry","note":"protein name, function text, keywords and locations (REST API)"},{"label":"Open Targets ENSG00000080644","url":"https://platform.opentargets.org/target/ENSG00000080644/associations","note":"association with cancer (MONDO_0004992) 0.51;  (GraphQL API, CC0)"}],"hgnc":"HGNC:1957","ensembl":"ENSG00000080644","uniprot":"P32297","entrez":"1136","biology":"Component of neuronal acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) that function as pentameric, ligand-gated cation channels with high calcium permeability among other activities. nAChRs are excitatory neurotrasnmitter receptors formed by a collection of nAChR subunits known to mediate synaptic transmission in the nervous system and the neuromuscular junction. Each nAchR subunit confers differential attributes to channel properties, including activation, deactivation and desensitisation kinetics, pH sensitivity, cation permeability, and binding to allosteric modulators. CHRNA3 forms heteropentameric neuronal acetylcholine receptors with CHRNB2 and CHRNB4, with CHRNA5, and CHRNB3 as accesory subunits. CHRNA3:CHRNB4 being predominant in neurons of the autonomic ganglia, it is known as ganglionic nicotinic receptor. CHRNA3:CHRNB4 or CHRNA3:CHRNA5:CHRNB4 play also an important role in the habenulo-interpeduncular tract, modulating the mesolimbic dopamine system and affecting reward circuits and addiction. Hypothalamic CHRNA3:CHRNB4 nAChR activation by nicotine leads to activation of POMC neurons and a decrease in food intake. Location: Synaptic cell membrane; Cell membrane; Endoplasmic reticulum; Golgi apparatus (UniProt). Locus 15q25.1 (HGNC).","whereFound":[],"targetClass":"other","prevalence":[]},"route":"/targets/chrna3/","neighbours":{"collection":[{"id":"open-targets","kind":"collection","name":"Open Targets Platform","route":"/collections/open-targets/"}]}}