Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) "Purinergic P2 Receptors: Structure and Function".

This Special Issue of I International Journal of Molecular Sciences i ( I IJMS i ) contains 7 reviews and 12 original research papers written by a panel of experts who highlight recent advances in molecular structure and cellular function of purinergic P2 receptors. Rupert et al. performed alanine mutagenesis of conserved and/or receptor-specific residues in the extracellular vestibule of rat P2X7 to investigate the role of these residues in receptor function. This study shows that the activation of P2X7 receptors in motor nerve endings may provide additional Ca SP 2+ sp entry into motor nerve terminals, which, independent of the modulation of L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel activity, can provide sufficient Ca SP 2+ sp signals for ACh secretion [[6]]. The purinergic receptor P2Y14 is the only P2 receptor that is stimulated by uridine diphosphate UDP. [Extracted from the article]