Human P2Y Expression Level Affects Human P2X7 Receptor-Mediated Cell Death.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is known to induce cell death in T lymphocytes at high extracellular concentrations. CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes have a differential response to ATP, which in mice is due to differences in the P2X7 receptor expression levels. By contrast, we observed that the difference in human CD4 and CD8 T lymphocyte response toward the synthetic ATP-analog BzATP is not explained by a difference in human P2X7 receptor expression.

Validation of antibodies for neuroanatomical localization of the P2Y receptor in macaque brain.

Focus on the purinergic receptor P2Y has increased following the finding of an association between the sleep disorder narcolepsy and a genetic variant in P2RY11 causing decreased gene expression. Narcolepsy is believed to arise from an autoimmune destruction of the hypothalamic neurons that produce the neuropeptide hypocretin/orexin. It is unknown how a decrease in expression of P2Y might contribute to an autoimmune reaction towards the hypocretin neurons and the development of narcolepsy.