Coexpression of P2X2 and P2X3 receptor subunits can account for ATP-gated currents in sensory neurons.
Cation-selective P2X receptor channels were first described in sensory neurons where they are important for primary afferent neurotransmission and nociception. Here we report the cloning of a complementary DNA ( P2X3) from rat dorsal root ganglia that had properties dissimilar to those of sensory neurons. We also found RNA for (P2X1)(ref. 7), (P2X2)(ref. 8) and P2X4 (ref. 9) in sensory neurons; channels expressed from individual cDNAs did not reproduce those of sensory ganglia. Coexpression of P2X3 with P2X2, but not other combinations, yielded ATP-activated currents that closely resembled those in sensory neurons. These properties could not be accounted for by addition of the two sets of channels, indicating that a new channel had formed by subunit heteropolymerization. Although in some tissues responses to ATP can be accounted for by homomeric channels, our results indicate that ATP-gated channels of sensory neurons may form by a specific heteropolymerization of P2X receptor subunits.[1]References
- Coexpression of P2X2 and P2X3 receptor subunits can account for ATP-gated currents in sensory neurons. Lewis, C., Neidhart, S., Holy, C., North, R.A., Buell, G., Surprenant, A. Nature (1995) [Pubmed]
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