RIC-3 also known as resistance to inhibitors of cholinesterase 3 is a chaperone protein that in humans is encoded by the ''RIC3'' gene. The RIC3 gene was first discovered in ''

C. elegans ''Caenorhabditis elegans'' () is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a blend of the Greek ''caeno-'' (recent), ''rhabditis'' ( ...

''. RIC-3 protein is conserved in most animals and influences the maturation of various

ligand gated ion channels Ligand-gated ion channels (LICs, LGIC), also commonly referred to as ionotropic receptors, are a group of transmembrane ion-channel proteins which open to allow ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, and/or Cl− to pass through the membrane in res ...

including the

serotonin Serotonin () or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Its biological function is complex and multifaceted, modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and numerous physiological processes such as vomiting and vas ...

5-HT₃ receptor and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, particularly the

homomeric Something that is composed of one repeating subunit, the antonym of heteromeric. It is often used to describe proteins made up of multiple identical repeating polypeptide Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds ...

α₇ nicotinic receptor. RIC-3 enhances currents generated by these receptors by expediting receptor transport to the cell surface and by increasing receptor number.

References

Further reading