Incorporation of the ␣5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit can greatly influence nAChR function without altering receptor number. Although few animal studies have assessed the role of the ␣5 nAChR in nicotine-mediated behaviors, recent evidence suggests an association between polymorphisms in the ␣5 nAChR gene and nicotine dependence phenotypes in humans. Thus, additional studies are imperative to elucidate the role and function of the ␣5 nAChR subunit in nicotine dependence. Using ␣5(Ϫ/Ϫ) mice, the current study aimed to examine the role of ␣5 nAChRs in the initial pharmacological effects of nicotine, nicotine reward using the conditioned place preference model, and the discriminative effects of nicotine using a two-lever drug discrimination model. 86 Rb ϩ efflux and 125 I-epibatidine binding assays were conducted to examine the effect of ␣5 nAChR subunit deletion on expression and activity of functional nAChRs. Results show that ␣5(Ϫ/Ϫ) mice are less sensitive to the initial effects of nicotine in antinociception, locomotor activity, and hypothermia measures and that the ␣5 nAChR is involved in nicotine reward. Alternatively, ␣5(Ϫ/Ϫ) mice did not differ from wild-type littermates in sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine. Furthermore, deletion of the ␣5 nAChR subunit resulted in a statistically significant decrease in function in the thalamus and hindbrain, but the decreases noted in spinal cord were not statistically significant. Receptor number was unaltered in all areas tested. Taken together, results of the study suggest that ␣5 nAChRs are involved in nicotine-mediated behaviors relevant to development of nicotine dependence.