| Título: | Insights into the molecular physiology of the P2X receptor family |
| Autores: | Raouf, Ramin K. |
| Fecha: | 2006 |
| Publicador: | McGill University - MCGILL |
| Fuente: |
 |
| Tipo: | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Tema: | Biology, Neuroscience. |
| Descripción: |
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of metabolic energy for a majority of chemical reactions in the cell, is now considered as an ancient messenger molecule used in intercellular communications. The ionotropic effects of ATP are mediated by P2X receptors which constitute a novel family of ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). The seven vertebrate subunits, which form homomeric as well as heteromeric channel complexes, show little structural resemblance to other families of LGICs such as the Cys-loop family exemplified by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. P2X receptors have been shown to play important physiological roles in processes such as transmission of pain, vasoconstriction, and inflammatory processes involving release of cytokines. The potential importance of these receptors as therapeutic targets in a number of pathophysiological conditions has focused many efforts on the understanding of their molecular physiology and modulation in vivo. This thesis reports the rationale and the results of experiments carried out to advance our knowledge of the molecular physiology of P2X receptors in several fronts: First, development of more selective tools, based on structure-function data, for the knockdown of the receptor function in vivo (manuscripts #1 and #2); second, contributions made to our understanding of the phylogeny and structure-function relationship in this protein family through functional analysis of an invertebrate P2X subunit (manuscripts #3 and #4); and third, advancing our understanding of the modulation of the P2X function through second messenger signalling pathways which would aid the efforts in drug development aimed at this receptor family (manuscript #5). |
| Idioma: | en |
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