Contributes to acetylcholine receptor activity. Acts upstream of or within behavioral response to nicotine. Part of acetylcholine-gated channel complex. Is expressed in nervous system and spinal cord neural tube. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy 4 and benign familial infantile seizures 6. Orthologous to human CHRNA2 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic alpha 2 subunit).