Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Purinergic Cotransmission

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Purinergic Signalling and the Nervous System

  • 866 Accesses

Abstract

The concept of cotransmission, in contrast to the generally held belief that one nerve only utilized one neurotransmitter, was formulated in a Commentary in Neuroscience in 1976. Initially, ATP was shown to be a cotransmitter with noradrenaline in sympathetic nerves, but it is now known that ATP is a cotransmitter with classical transmitters in most, if not all, nerves in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Neuropeptides are part of the ‘chemical coding’ in most nerve terminals. The physiological and pathophysiological significance of cotransmission are considered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Banks F, Knight G, Calvert RC, Thompson CS, Mikhailidis DP, Morgan R, Burnstock G (2006) The purinergic component of human vas deferens contraction. Fertil Steril 85:932–939

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Belai A, Burnstock G (1994) Evidence for coexistence of ATP and nitric oxide in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory neurones in the rat ileum, colon and anococcygeus muscle. Cell Tissue Res 278:197–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boué-Grabot E, Barajas-Lôpez C, Chakfe Y, Blais D, Bélanger D, Emerit MB, Séguéla P (2003) Intracellular cross talk and physical interaction between two classes of neurotransmitter-gated channels. J Neurosci 23:1246–1253

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bulloch JM, McGrath JC (1988) Selective blockade by nifedipine of “purinergic” rather than adrenergic nerve-mediated vasopressor responses in the pithed rat. Br J Pharmacol 95:695–700

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (1976) Do some nerve cells release more than one transmitter? Neuroscience 1:239–248

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (1990) Co-transmission. The fifth Heymans memorial lecture—Ghent, February 17, 1990. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 304:7–33

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (1993) Introduction: Changing face of autonomic and sensory nerves in the circulation. In: Edvinsson L, Uddman R (eds) Vascular innervation and receptor mechanisms: new perspectives. Academic Press Inc, San Diego, pp 1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (1996) Purinoceptors: ontogeny and phylogeny. Drug Dev. Res. 39:204–242

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (2001a) Purinergic signalling in lower urinary tract. In: Abbracchio MP, Williams M (eds) Handbook of experimental pharmacology, vol 151/I. Purinergic and pyrimidinergic signalling I—molecular nervous and urinogenitary system function. Springer, Berlin, pp 423–515

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (2001b) Purinergic signalling in gut. In: Abbracchio MP, Williams M (eds) Handbook of experimental pharmacology, vol 151/II. Purinergic and pyrimidinergic signalling II—cardiovascular respiratory immune, metabolic and gastrointestinal tract function. Springer, Berlin, pp 141–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (2004) Cotransmission. Curr Opin Pharmcol 4:47–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (2007) Physiology and pathophysiology of purinergic neurotransmission. Physiol Rev 87:659–797

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G (2008) The journey to establish purinergic signalling in the gut. Neurogastroenterol Motil 20:8–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G, Holman ME (1961) The transmission of excitation from autonomic nerve to smooth muscle. J Physiol 155:115–133

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G, Verkhratsky A (2010) Vas deferens—a model used to establish sympathetic cotransmission. Trends Pharmacol Sci 31:131–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnstock G, Cocks T, Crowe R, Kasakov L (1978) Purinergic innervation of the guinea-pig urinary bladder. Br J Pharmacol 63:125–138

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Lorenzo S, Veggetti M, Muchnik S, Losavio A (2006) Presynaptic inhibition of spontaneous acetylcholine release mediated by P2Y receptors at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Neuroscience 142:71–85

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dugué GP, Dumoulin A, Triller A, Dieudonné S (2005) Target-dependent use of co-released inhibitory transmitters at central synapses. J Neurosci 25:6490–6498

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis JL, Burnstock G (1990a) Neuropeptide Y neuromodulation of sympathetic co-transmission in the guinea-pig vas deferens. Br J Pharmacol 100:457–462

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis JL, Burnstock G (1990b) Modulation by prostaglandin E2 of ATP and noradrenaline co-transmission in the guinea-pig vas deferens. J Auton Pharmacol 10:363–372

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evans RJ, Surprenant A (1992) Vasoconstriction of guinea-pig submucosal arterioles following sympathetic nerve stimulation is mediated by the release of ATP. Br J Pharmacol 106:242–249

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fujii S, Sasaki H, Mikoshiba K, Kuroda Y, Yamazaki Y, Mostafa TA, Kato H (2004) A chemical LTP induced by co-activation of metabotropic and N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors in hippocampal CA1 neurons. Brain Res 999:20–28

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henning RH (1997) Purinoceptors in neuromuscular transmission. Pharmacol Ther 74:115–128

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holton P (1959) The liberation of adenosine triphosphate on antidromic stimulation of sensory nerves. J Physiol (Lond) 145:494–504

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle CHV (1996) Purinergic cotransmission: parasympathetic and enteric nerves. Semin Neurosci 8:207–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Illes P, Wirkner K, Nörenberg W, Masino SA, Dunwiddie TV (2001) Interaction between the transmitters ATP and glutamate in the central nervous system. Drug Dev Res 52:76–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jo YH, Role LW (2002) Cholinergic modulation of purinergic and GABAergic co-transmission at in vitro hypothalamic synapses. J Neurophysiol 88:2501–2508

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khakh BS, Fisher JA, Nashmi R, Bowser DN, Lester HA (2005) An angstrom scale interaction between plasma membrane ATP-gated P2X2 and α4β2 nicotinic channels measured with fluorescence resonance energy transfer and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. J Neurosci 25:6911–6920

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick K, Burnstock G (1987) Sympathetic nerve-mediated release of ATP from the guinea-pig vas deferens is unaffected by reserpine. Eur J Pharmacol 138:207–214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koganezawa T, Ishikawa T, Fujita Y, Yamashita T, Tajima T, Honda M, Nakayama K (2006) Local regulation of skin blood flow during cooling involving presynaptic P2 purinoceptors in rats. Br J Pharmacol 148:579–586

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krügel U, Kittner H, Franke H, Illes P (2003) Purinergic modulation of neuronal activity in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system in vivo. Synapse 47:134–142

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kupfermann I (1991) Functional studies of cotransmission. Physiol Rev 71:683–732

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lagercrantz H, Stjärne L (1974) Evidence that most noradrenaline is stored without ATP in sympathetic large dense core nerve vesicles. Nature 249:843–845

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Langer SZ, Pinto JEB (1976) Possible involvement of a transmitter different from norepinephrine in residual responses to nerve stimulation of cat nicitating membrane after pretreatment with reserpine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 196:697–713

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis J (1927) The blood vessels of the human skin and their responses. Shaw & Sons, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundberg JM (1996) Pharmacology of cotransmission in the autonomic nervous system: integrative aspects on amines, neuropeptides, adenosine triphosphate, amino acids and nitric oxide. Pharmacol Rev 48:113–178

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mori M, Heuss C, Gahwiler BH, Gerber U (2001) Fast synaptic transmission mediated by P2X receptors in CA3 pyramidal cells of rat hippocampal slice cultures. J Physiol 535:115–123

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nurgali K, Furness JB, Stebbing MJ (2003) Analysis of purinergic and cholinergic fast synaptic transmission to identified myenteric neurons. Neuroscience 116:335–347

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pankratov Y, Lalo U, Verkhratsky A, North RA (2006) Vesicular release of ATP at central synapses. Pflugers Arch. 452:589–597

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Poelchen W, Sieler D, Wirkner K, Illes P (2001) Co-transmitter function of ATP in central catecholaminergic neurons of the rat. Neuroscience 102:593–602

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson PJ, Brown SJ (1987) ATP release from affinity-purified rat cholinergic nerve terminals. J Neurochem 48:622–630

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saffrey MJ, Hassall CJS, Allen TGJ, Burnstock G (1992) Ganglia within the gut, heart, urinary bladder and airways: studies in tissue culture. Int Rev Cytol 136:93–144

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silinsky EM, Hubbard JI (1973) Release of ATP from rat motor nerve terminals. Nature 243:404–405

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith NCE, Burnstock G (2004) Mechanism underlying postjunctional synergism between responses of the vas deferens to noradrenaline and ATP. Eur J Pharmacol 498:241–248

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth LM, Breen LT, Mutafova-Yambolieva VN (2006) Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is released from sympathetic nerve terminals via a botulinum neurotoxin A-mediated mechanism in canine mesenteric artery. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 290:H1818–H1825

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sneddon P, Burnstock G (1984a) Inhibition of excitatory junction potentials in guinea-pig vas deferens by α, β-methylene-ATP: further evidence for ATP and noradrenaline as cotransmitters. Eur J Pharmacol 100:85–90

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sneddon P, Burnstock G (1984b) ATP as a co-transmitter in rat tail artery. Eur J Pharmacol 106:149–152

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sperlágh B, Sershen H, Lajtha A, Vizi ES (1998) Co-release of endogenous ATP and [3H]noradrenaline from rat hypothalamic slices: origin and modulation by α2-adrenoceptors. Neuroscience 82:511–520

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Su C, Bevan JA, Burnstock G (1971) [3H]adenosine triphosphate: release during stimulation of enteric nerves. Science 173:337–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todorov LD, Mihaylova Todorova S, Westfall TD, Sneddon P, Kennedy C, Bjur RA, Westfall DP (1997) Neuronal release of soluble nucleotidases and their role in neurotransmitter inactivation. Nature 387:76–79

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Westfall DP, Stitzel RE, Rowe JN (1978) The postjunctional effects and neural release of purine compounds in the guinea-pig vas deferens. Eur J Pharmacol 50:27–38

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann H (2008) ATP and acetylcholine, equal brethren. Neurochem Int 52:634–648

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Autonomic Neuroscience Centre, University College Medical School, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK

    Geoffrey Burnstock

  2. Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK

    Alexei Verkhratsky

Authors
  1. Geoffrey Burnstock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexei Verkhratsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Geoffrey Burnstock .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Burnstock, G., Verkhratsky, A. (2012). Purinergic Cotransmission. In: Purinergic Signalling and the Nervous System. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28863-0_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation