Structural and Functional Basis for Understanding the Biological Significance of P2X7 Receptor.

ABSTRACT: The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) possesses a unique structure associated to an as yet not fully understood mechanism of action that facilitates cell permeability to large ionic molecules through the receptor itself and/or nearby membrane proteins. High extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels-inexistent in physiological conditions-are required for the receptor to be triggered and contribute to its role in cell damage signaling. The inconsistent data on its activation pathways and the few studies performed in natively expressed human P2X7R have led us to review the structure, activation pathways, and specific cellular location of P2X7R in order to analyze its biological relevance. The ATP-gated P2X7R is a homo-trimeric receptor channel that is occasionally hetero-trimeric and highly polym

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Cuesta MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7696479 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature