Chen C C, Akopian A N, Sivilotti L, Colquhoun D, Burnstock G, Wood J N
Department of Anatomy, University College, London, UK.
Nature. 1995 Oct 5;377(6548):428-31. doi: 10.1038/377428a0.
ATP is known to depolarize sensory neurons, and may play a role in nociceptor activation when released from damaged tissue. Here we report the molecular cloning and characterization of a new member of the P2X receptor family, 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.
已知ATP可使感觉神经元去极化，并且当它从受损组织中释放时，可能在伤害感受器激活中发挥作用。在此，我们报告了由这些细胞表达的P2X受体家族新成员P2X3的分子克隆及特性。该通道转录本存在于大鼠背根神经节感觉神经元的一个亚群中，其中一些表达与伤害感受器相关的标志物；在包括交感神经、肠神经系统和中枢神经系统神经元在内的其他测试组织中则不存在。此外，当在非洲爪蟾卵母细胞中表达时，该通道显示出ATP依赖性阳离子通量。P2X3是已知唯一仅由感觉神经元亚群表达的配体门控通道。该通道显著的表达选择性及其类似感觉神经元的药理学特性表明，此通道可能传导ATP诱发的伤害感受器激活。
