Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A P2X purinoceptor expressed by a subset of sensory neurons

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

ATP is known to depolarize sensory neurons, and may play a role in nociceptor activation when released from damaged tissue1-10. Here we report the molecular cloning and characterization of a new member of the P2X receptor family3,11,12, P2X3, expressed by these cells. The channel transcript was present in a subset of rat dorsal-root-ganglion sensory neurons, some of which express nociceptor-associated markers; it was absent in other tissues that were tested, including sympathetic, enteric and central nervous system neurons. Moreover, when expressed in Xenopus oocytes, the channel showed an ATP-dependent cation flux. P2X3 is the only ligand-gated channel known to be expressed exclusively by a subset of sensory neurons. The remarkable selectivity of expression of the channel coupled with its sensory neuron-like pharmacology suggests that this channel may transduce ATP-evoked nociceptor activation.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Burnstock, G. Drug Dev. Res. 28, 195–206 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Khakh, B. S., Humphrey, P. P. A. & Surprenant, A. J. Physiol., Lond. 484, 385–395 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Abbracchio, M. P. & Burnstock, G. Pharmac. Ther. 64, 445–475 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Krishtal, O. A. & Marchenko, S. M. Biomed. Res. 7, 79–81 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Krishtal, O. A., Marchenko, S. M., Obukhov, A. G. & Volkova, T. M. Br. J. Pharmac. 95, 1057–1062 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Jahr, C. E. & Jessell, T. M. Nature 304, 730–733 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bean, B. P. J. Neurosci. 10, 1–10 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bean, B. P., Williams, C. A. & Ceelen, P. W. J. Neurosci. 10, 11–19 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Bean, B. P. & Friel, D. D. Ion Channels 2, 169–203 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bleehen, T. & Keele, C. A. Pain 3, 367–377 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Valera, S. et al. Nature 371, 516–518 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Brake, A. J., Wagenbach, M. J. & Julius, D. Nature 371, 519–522 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Akopian, A. & Wood, J. N. J. biol. Chem. (in the press).

  14. Huang, M. & Chalfie, M. Nature 367, 467–470 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Krieg, P. A. & Melton, D. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 12, 7057–7070 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ho, B. T., Huo, Y. Y., Lu, J. G., Newman, R. A. & Levin, V. A. Anticancer Drugs 2, 91–94 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Bouvier, M. N., Evans, M. L. & Benham, C. D. Eur. J. Neurosci. 3, 285–291 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Robertson, S. J., Rowan, E. R. & Kennedy, C. Br. J. Pharmac. (in the press).

  19. Lawson, S. N. in Sensory Neurons (ed. Scott, S. A.) 27–60 (Oxford Univ. Press, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Canessa, C. M. et al. Nature 367, 463–467 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hoong, K. & Driscoll, M. Nature 367, 470–474 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Colquhoun, D. Lectures in Biostatistics (Oxford Univ. Press, 1971).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Andrews, P. W. et al. Lab. Invest. 50, 147–162 (1984).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wood, J. N. et al. Proc. R. Soc. B 241, 187–194 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ninkina, N. N., Stevens, G. E., Wood, J. N. & Richardson, W. D. Nucleic Acids Res. 21, 3175–3182 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. LeBeau, M.-C., Alvarez-Bolando, G., Braissant, O., Wahli, W. & Catsicas, S. Nucleic Acids Res. 19, 1337 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Escurat, M., Djabali, K., Gumpel, M., Gros, F. & Portier, M.-M. J. Neurosci. 10, 764–784 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wood, J. N., Winter, J., James, I., Rang, H. P. & Bevan, S. J. Neurosci. 8, 3208–3220 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Schaeren-Wimers, N. & Gerfin-Moser, A. Histochemistry 100, 431–440 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Chih-Cheng Chen, Armen N. Akopian, Geoffrey Burnstock & John N. Wood

  2. Department of Pharmacology, University College, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Lucia Sivilottit & David Colquhoun

Authors
  1. Chih-Cheng Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Armen N. Akopian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lucia Sivilottit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Colquhoun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Geoffrey Burnstock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. John N. Wood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, CC., Akopian, A., Sivilottit, L. et al. A P2X purinoceptor expressed by a subset of sensory neurons. Nature 377, 428–431 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/377428a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/377428a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation