Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir2.3

Title: P2X2 receptor subunit expression in a subpopulation of cochlear type I spiral ganglion neurones.

Authors: S G Salih, G D Housley, L D Burton, D Greenwood

Journal, date & volume: Neuroreport, 1998 Jan 26 , 9, 279-82

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9507969

Abstract
Spiral ganglion neurones in rat cochlea express three different isoforms of the P2X2 receptor subunit which assemble into ATP-gated ion channels. Two of these P2X2R subunit isoforms have previously been detected in other auditory tissues. The third isoform (designated P2X2-3R) has not been described. This isoform lacks 39 bp immediately prior to the stop codon, corresponding to a 13 amino acid deletion of the extreme C-terminus domain. Using direct in situ RT-PCR, expression of P2X2R mRNA was confined to a subpopulation of type I spiral ganglion neurones. This study supports a role for extracellular ATP as a neurotransmitter for a discrete population of auditory neurones where variation in P2X2R isoform assembly may confer functional heterogeneity, including enhanced desensitization.