The protein encoded by this gene is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit and a member of a superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels that mediate fast signal transmission at synapses. These receptors are thought to be heteropentamers composed of separate but similar subunits. Defects in this gene have been linked to susceptibility to lung cancer type 2 (LNCR2).[provided by RefSeq, Jun 2010]