Expression, assembly and function of novel C-terminal truncated variants of the mouse P2X7 receptor: re-evaluation of P2X7 knockouts.

Background And Purpose: Splice variants of P2X7 receptor transcripts contribute to the diversity of receptor-mediated responses. Here, we investigated expression and function of C-terminal truncated (ΔC) variants of the mP2X7 receptor, which are predicted to escape inactivation in one strain of P2X7(-/-) mice (Pfizer KO).

Experimental Approach: Expression in wild-type (WT) and Pfizer KO tissue was investigated by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and Western blot analysis.