The CHRNB2 gene encodes a subunit of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), a ligand-gated ion channel located in the plasma membrane. This channel is a heteropentameric structure composed of alpha and beta subunits. Upon activation by its ligands nicotine or acetylcholine, the channel allows the passage of sodium, potassium and calcium ions across the plasma membrane, thus mediating signal transduction at synapses. The channel is believed to play a role in several brain functions such as memory, learning, sleep and the perception of pain and sound.
The gene has been implicated in Epilepsy, Nocturnal Frontal Lobe, 3 (ENFL3), a neurological disorder characterized by clusters of motor seizures that occur during sleep.