Nucleotides and nucleosides are primitive biological molecules that were utilized early in evolution both as intracellular energy sources and as extracellular signalling molecules. ATP was first identified as a neurotransmitter and later as a co-transmitter with all the established neurotransmitters in both peripheral and central nervous systems. Four subtypes of P1 (adenosine) receptors, 7 subtypes of P2X ion channel receptors and 8 subtypes of P2Y G protein-coupled receptors have currently been identified. Since P2 receptors were first cloned in the early 1990’s, there is clear evidence for the widespread distribution of both P1 and P2 receptor subtypes in neuronal and non-neuronal cells, including glial, immune, bone, muscle, endothelial, epithelial and endocrine cells.
There is both short-term purinergic signalling in transmission and secretion and long-term (trophic) signalling in controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and death in development and regeneration and there is increasing interest in the roles of purines and pyrimidines in pathophysiological conditions and their therapeutic potential in disease. At the molecular level, rapid progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of nucleotide and nucleoside release, their extracellular metabolism, the intracellular signalling cascades elicited by receptor activation and the cross-talk with other essential signalling pathways.
The rapidly growing interest in purinergic signalling with its exceptionally wide spectrum of signalling functions in health and disease makes this journal devoted to purinergic signalling attractive to both basic scientists and clinicians.
Purinergic Signallingpublishes:
Original Research Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Commentaries, ’Hot’ Topics and Controversies, as well as Meeting Reports and Book Reviews.