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.

The CHRNB2 gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 1. It spans a length of 12.2 kb of DNA and its coding sequence is spread across 6 exons. The protein product encoded by this gene has a molecular mass of 57 kDa and consists of 502 amino acids. The gene is overexpressed in the fetal and adult human brain. Heterozygous mutations in the CHRNB2 gene have been associated with ENFL3; so far 3 missense CHRNB2 mutations have been identified in affected individuals.