Dual P2Y 12 receptor signaling in thrombin-stimulated platelets--involvement of phosphoinositide 3-kinase beta but not gamma isoform in Ca2+ mobilization and procoagulant activity

During thrombus formation, thrombin, which is abundantly present at sites of vascular injury, activates platelets in part via autocrine-produced ADP. We investigated the signaling pathways by which thrombin and ADP in synergy induced platelet Ca(2+) elevation and procoagulant activity, and we monitored the consequences for the coagulation process. Even at high thrombin concentration, autocrine and added ADP enhanced and prolonged Ca(2+) depletion from internal stores via stimulation of the P2Y(12) receptors. This P2Y(12)-dependent effect was mediated via two distinct signaling pathways. The first is enhanced Ca(2+) mobilization by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors due to inhibition of protein kinase A. The second pathway concerns prolonged activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) and phospholipase C. Experiments with phosphoinositide 3-kinase isoform-selective inhibitors and p110gamma deficient platelets demonstrated that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase beta and not the phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma isoform is responsible for the prolonged Ca(2+) response and for the subsequent increases in procoagulant activity and coagulation. Taken together, these results demonstrate a dual P2Y(12)-dependent signaling mechanism, which increases the platelet-activating effect of thrombin by prolongation of Ca(2+) elevation, thereby facilitating the coagulation process.     

Lysophosphatidic acid-induced Ca2+ mobilization requires intracellular sphingosine 1-phosphate production. Potential involvement of endogenous EDG-4 receptors

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-mediated Ca(2+) mobilization in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells does not involve either inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P(3))- or ryanodine-receptor pathways, but is sensitive to inhibitors of sphingosine kinase. This present study identifies Edg-4 as the receptor subtype involved and investigates the presence of a Ca(2+) signaling cascade based upon the lipid second messenger molecule, sphingosine 1-phosphate. Both LPA and direct G-protein activation increase [(3)H]sphingosine 1-phosphate levels in SH-SY5Y cells. Measurements of (45)Ca(2+) release in premeabilized SH-SY5Y cells indicates that sphingosine 1-phosphate, sphingosine, and sphingosylphosphorylcholine, but not N-acetylsphingosine are capable of mobilizing intracellular Ca(2+). Furthermore, the effect of sphingosine was attenuated by the sphingosine kinase inhibitor dimethylsphingosine, or removal of ATP. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that LPA stimulated intracellular Ca(2+) "puffs," which resulted from an interaction between the sphingolipid Ca(2+) release pathway and Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors. Down-regulation of Ins(1,4,5)P(3) receptors uncovered a Ca(2+) response to LPA, which was manifest as a progressive increase in global cellular Ca(2+) with no discernible foci. We suggest that activation of an LPA-sensitive Edg-4 receptor solely utilizes the production of intracellular sphingosine 1-phosphate to stimulate Ca(2+) mobilization in SH-SY5Y cells. Unlike traditional Ca(2+) release processes, this novel pathway does not require the progressive recruitment of elementary Ca(2+) events.     

How do inositol phosphates regulate calcium signaling?

Activation of a variety of cell surface receptors results in the phospholipase C-catalyzed hydrolysis of the minor plasma membrane phospholipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, with concomitant formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. There is strong evidence that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate stimulates Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. The Ca2+-releasing actions of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate are terminated by its metabolism through two distinct pathways. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is dephosphorylated by a 5-phosphatase to inositol 1,4-bisphosphate; alternatively, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate can also be phosphorylated to inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate by a 3-kinase. Although the mechanism of Ca2+ mobilization is understood, the precise mechanisms involved in Ca2+ entry are not known; the proposal that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate secondarily elicits Ca2+ entry by emptying an intracellular Ca2+ pool is considered.     

ATP stimulates Ca2+ oscillations and contraction in airway smooth muscle cells of mouse lung slices

In airway smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from mouse lung slices, > or =10 microM ATP induced Ca2+ oscillations that were accompanied by airway contraction. After approximately 1 min, the Ca2+ oscillations subsided and the airway relaxed. By contrast, > or =0.5 microM adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (nonhydrolyzable) induced Ca2+ oscillations in the SMCs and an associated airway contraction that persisted for >2 min. Adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate)-induced Ca2+ oscillations occurred in the absence of external Ca2+ but were abolished by the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122 and the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor inhibitor xestospongin. Adenosine, AMP, and alpha,beta-methylene ATP had no effect on airway caliber, and the magnitude of the contractile response induced by a variety of nucleotides could be ranked in the following order: ATP = UTP > ADP. These results suggest that the SMC response to ATP is impaired by ATP hydrolysis and mediated via P2Y(2) or P2Y(4) receptors, activating phospholipase C to release Ca2+ via the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor. We conclude that ATP can serve as a spasmogen of airway SMCs and that Ca2+ oscillations in SMCs are required to sustain airway contraction.     

Intercellular communication between follicular angiotensin receptors and Xenopus laevis oocytes: medication by an inositol 1,4,5- trisphosphate-dependent mechanism

In Xenopus laevis oocytes, activation of angiotensin II (AII) receptors on the surrounding follicular cells sends a signal through gap junctions to elevate cytoplasmic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) within the oocyte. The two major candidates for signal transfer through gap junctions into the oocyte during AII receptor stimulation are Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ca2+. In [3H]inositol-injected follicular oocytes, AII stimulated two- to fourfold increases in phosphoinositide hydrolysis and production of inositol phosphates. Injection of the glycosaminoglycan, heparin, which selectively blocks Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors, prevented both AII-stimulated and Ins(1,4,5)P3-induced Ca2+ mobilization in Xenopus follicular oocytes but did not affect mobilization of Ca2+ by ionomycin or GTP. These results indicate that the AII-regulated process of gap junction communication between follicular cells and the oocyte operates through an Ins(1,4,5)P3-dependent mechanism rather than through transfer of Ca2+ into the ooplasm and subsequent Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release.     

Requirement of biphasic calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum for Fas-mediated apoptosis

Fas receptor is a member of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha family of death receptors that mediate physiologic apoptotic signaling. To investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating calcium mobilization during Fas-mediated apoptosis, we have analyzed the sequential steps leading to altered calcium homeostasis and cell death in response to activation of the Fas receptor. We show that Fas-mediated apoptosis requires endoplasmic reticulum-mediated calcium release in a mechanism dependent on phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) activation and Ca2+ release from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels. The kinetics of Ca2+ release were biphasic, demonstrating a rapid elevation caused by PLC-gamma1 activation and a delayed and sustained increase caused by cytochrome c binding to IP3R. Blocking either phase of Ca2+ mobilization was cytoprotective, highlighting PLC-gamma1 and IP3R as possible therapeutic targets for disorders associated with Fas signaling.     

Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate stimulates calcium release from bovine adrenal microsomes by a mechanism independent of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor.

In bovine adrenal microsomes, Ins(1,4,5)P3 binds to a specific high-affinity receptor site (Kd = 11 nM) with low affinity for two other InsP3 isomers, Ins(1,3,4)P3 and Ins(2,4,5)P3. In the same subcellular fractions Ins(1,4,5)P3 was also the most potent stimulus of Ca2+ release of all the inositol phosphates tested. Of the many inositol phosphates recently identified in angiotensin-II-stimulated adrenal glomerulosa and other cells, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 has been implicated as an additional second messenger that may act in conjunction with Ins(1,4,5)P3 to elicit Ca2+ mobilization. In the present study, an independent action of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was observed in bovine adrenal microsomes. Heparin, a sulphated polysaccharide which binds to Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors in several tissues, inhibited both the binding of radiolabelled Ins(1,4,5)P3 and its Ca2(+)-releasing activity in adrenal microsomes. In contrast, heparin did not inhibit the mobilization of Ca2+ by Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, even at doses that abolished the Ins(1,4,5)P3 response. Such differential inhibition of the Ins(1,4,5)P3- and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4-induced Ca2+ responses by heparin indicates that Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 stimulates the release of Ca2+ from a discrete intracellular store, and exerts this action via a specific receptor site that is distinct from the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor.     

Agonist-induced calcium signaling is impaired in fibroblasts overproducing inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate.

The proposed Ca(2+)-signaling actions of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(1,3,4,5)P4), formed by phosphorylation of the primary Ca(2+)-mobilizing messenger, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), were analyzed in NIH 3T3 and CCL39 fibroblasts transfected with rat brain Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase. In such kinase-transfected cells, the conversion of Ins(1,4,5)P3 to Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 during agonist stimulation was greatly increased, with a concomitant reduction in Ins(1,4,5)P3 levels and attenuation of both the cytoplasmic Ca2+ increase and the Ca2+ influx response. This reduction in Ca2+ signaling was observed during activation of receptors coupled to guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (thrombin and bradykinin), as well as with those possessing tyrosine kinase activity. Single-cell Ca2+ measurements in CCL39 cells revealed that the smaller averaged Ca2+ response of enzyme-transfected cells was due to a marked increase in the number of cells expressing small and slow Ca2+ increases, in contrast to the predominantly large and rapid Ca2+ responses of vector-transfected controls. There was no evidence that high Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 levels promote Ca2+ mobilization, Ca2+ entry, or Ca2+ sequestration. These data indicate that Ins(1,4,5)P3 is the major determinant of the agonist-induced Ca2+ signal in fibroblasts and that Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 does not appear to contribute significantly to this process. Instead, Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase may serve as a negative regulator of the Ca(2+)-phosphoinositide signal transduction mechanism.     

Roles of Ca2+ on the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced release of Ca2+ from saponin-permeabilized single cells of the porcine coronary artery

The release of Ca2+ from the intracellular store site, as induced by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, was studied in relation to free Ca2+ concentrations or amounts of stored Ca2+ in smooth muscle cells. The maximal Ca2+ release induced by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was observed when the amount of Ca2+ in the store site was about 50% of the maximal capacity of the Ca2+ storage, and when the extravesicular free Ca2+ concentration was less than 1.5 X 10(-6) M. The Ca2+ release induced by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate was accelerated by ATP and 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate (AMPPNP), but not by ADP and AMP. This inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release appeared to be specific for intracellular Ca2+ store sites (mainly sarcoplasmic reticulum), and this Ca2+ release was not apparent in the sarcolemmal fraction.     

Involvement of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and calcium in the action of adenine nucleotides on aortic endothelial cells

ADP and ATP, in the 1-100 microM range of concentrations, increased the formation of inositol phosphates in bovine aortic endothelial cells. The accumulation of inositol trisphosphate in response to adenine nucleotides was rapid (maximum at 15 s) and transient. This material was identified as the biologically active isomer inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate on the basis of its retention time by high-performance liquid chromatography on an anion-exchange resin. AMP and adenosine have no effect on inositol phosphates. The action of ATP and ADP was mimicked with an equal potency and activity by their phosphorothioate analogs, ATP gamma S and ADP beta S, and with a lower potency by adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imido)triphosphate, whereas adenosine 5'-(alpha,beta-methylene)triphosphate, was inactive. In the same range of concentrations, ADP and ATP induced an efflux of 45Ca2+ from prelabeled bovine aortic endothelial cells and increased the fluorescence emission by cells loaded with quin-2. Here, too, AMP and adenosine were completely inactive. The outflow of 45Ca2+ induced by ADP was partially maintained in a calcium-free medium. These data suggest that in aortic endothelial cells, P2-purinergic receptors, of the P2Y subtype, are coupled to the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate by a phospholipase C. It is likely that the release of prostacyclin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor in response to ADP and ATP is a consequence of this initial event.     

Metabolism and functions of inositol phosphates

Activation of Ca2+-mobilizing receptors rapidly increases the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration both by releasing Ca2+ stored in endoplasmic reticulum and by stimulating Ca2+ entry into the cells. The mechanism by which Ca2+ release occurs has recently been elucidated. Receptor activation of phospholipase C results in the hydrolysis of the plasma membrane lipid, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), to yield two intracellular messengers, diacylglycerol (DAG) and (1,4,5)inositol trisphosphate [(1,4,5)IP3]. DAG remains in the plasma membrane where it stimulates protein phosphorylation via the phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C. (1,4,5)IP3 diffuses to and interacts with specific sites on the endoplasmic reticulum to release stored Ca2+. Receptor stimulation of phospholipase C appears to be mediated by one or more guanine nucleotide-dependent regulatory proteins by a mechanism analogous to hormonal activation of adenylyl cyclase. The actions of (1,4,5)IP3 on Ca2+ mobilization are terminated by two metabolic pathways, sequential dephosphorylation to inositol bisphosphate (IP2), inositol monophosphate (IP) and inositol or by phosphorylation to inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4) and sequential dephosphorylation to different inositol phosphates. A sustained cellular response also requires Ca2+ entry into the cell from the extracellular space. The mechanism by which hormones increase Ca2+ entry is not known; a recent proposal involving movement of Ca2+ through the endoplasmic reticulum, possibly regulated by IP4, will be considered here.     

Benzoyl ATP is an antagonist of rat and human P2Y1 receptors and of platelet aggregation

The effects of 2'- and 3'-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP (BzATP) on intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and cyclic AMP accumulation were investigated using rat brain capillary endothelial cells which express an endogenous P2Y1 receptor, human platelets which are known to express a P2Y1 receptor, and Jurkat cells stably transfected with the human P2Y1 receptor. In endothelial cells, BzATP was a competitive inhibitor of 2-methylthio ADP (2-MeSADP) and ADP induced [Ca2+]i responses (Ki = 4.7 microM) and reversed the inhibition by ADP of adenylyl cyclase (Ki = 13 microM). In human platelets, BzATP inhibited ADP-induced aggregation (Ki = 5 microM), mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores (Ki = 6.3 microM), and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. In P2Y1-Jurkat cells, BzATP inhibited ADP and 2-MeSADP-induced [Ca2+]i responses (Ki = 2.5 microM). It was concluded that BzATP is an antagonist of rat and human P2Y1 receptors and of platelet aggregation. In contrast to other P2Y1 receptor antagonists (A2P5P and A3P5P) which inhibit only ADP-induced Ca2+ mobilization, BzATP inhibits both the Ca2+- and the cAMP-dependent intracellular signaling pathways of ADP. These results provide further evidence that P2Y1 receptors contribute to platelet ADP responses.     

Activation of calcium entry by the tumor promoter thapsigargin in parotid acinar cells. Evidence that an intracellular calcium pool and not an inositol phosphate regulates calcium fluxes at the plasma membrane

The depletion of an inositol 1, 4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ pool has been proposed to be the signal for Ca2+ entry in agonist-activated cells. Consistent with this idea, thapsigargin, which releases intracellular Ca2+ without inositol phosphate formation, has been reported to activate Ca2+ entry in certain cells. We now report the effects of thapsigargin on Ca2+ entry in parotid acinar cells. In fura-2-loaded parotid acinar cells, thapsigargin caused a sustained elevation of [Ca2+], but did not increase inositol phosphate formation. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, the increase in [Ca2+], was transient, suggesting that thapsigargin activates both the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores and the entry of Ca2+ from the extracellular space. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, pretreatment with methacholine, an agonist believed to mobilize Ca2+ through the production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, inhibited but did not completely block the response to thapsigargin; likewise, pretreatment with thapsigargin inhibited the response to methacholine. In permeabilized cells, thapsigargin gradually released Ca2+, whereas inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate caused a rapid and transient discharge of Ca2+. The simultaneous addition of thapsigargin with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate evoked a maximum Ca2+ release similar to that for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate alone, but the reuptake seen with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate alone was abolished. In intact cells, methacholine and thapsigargin together produced a greater initial release of Ca2+ than either alone, but they were not additive in the sustained phase of Ca2+ mobilization. These results demonstrate that the mechanisms for activation of Ca2+ entry by thapsigargin and methacholine are the same and are consistent with the idea that entry is initiated by the depletion of the intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ pool. The results also indicate that, in contrast to previously proposed models, Ca2+ entry into agonist-activated cells occurs directly across the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm rather than through a cycle of uptake and release by the intracellular Ca2+ pool.     

Formation and metabolism of [3H]inositol phosphates in AR42J pancreatoma cells. Substance P-induced Ca2+ mobilization in the apparent absence of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase activity

After 2 days of incubation of AR42J pancreatoma cells with 400 microM [3H]inositol, the specific radioactivity of [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and the specific radioactivity of [3H]inositol were similar, indicating that isotopic equilibrium had been achieved. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3) level in cells was estimated to be approximately 2 microM and was increased by substance P receptor activation to about 25 microM. HPLC analysis of [3H]inositol phosphates indicated that only 1,4,5-IP3, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, and inositol 4-monophosphate were increased upon receptor activation. There was no increase in inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (1,3,4,5-IP4), or in any of its metabolites. Incubation of [3H]1,4,5-IP3 with a cell homogenate did not result in the formation of [3H]1,3,4,5-IP4. Therefore, it appears that 1,4,5-IP3 3-kinase is either not present or not functional under these assay conditions. Substance P increased cytosolic calcium levels in fura-2-loaded cells from about 600 nM to 2.5 microM. This increase in Ca2+ was partially attenuated in the absence of extracellular calcium, indicating that in AR42J cells, substance P stimulation appears to activate calcium signaling through both Ca2+ entry and intracellular Ca2+ release. These modes of Ca2+ mobilization occur without an increase in 1,3,4,5-IP4 or any of its metabolites.     

细胞内贮存钙释放的机制

细胞内贮存钙的释放主要由１,４,５－三磷酸肌醇（ＩＰ３）受体系统和ｒｙａｎｏｄｉｎｅ受体系统调控。前通过ＩＰ３与其受体结合后,诱发细胞内钙释放;后通过复杂的机制调节环腺苷二磷酸核糖含量,由ｃＡＤＰＲ直接或间接作用于ｒｙａｎｏｄｉｎｅ受体,进而启动由Ｃａ＾２＋诱发的Ｃａ＾２＋释放机制。上述两系统之间相互作用,共同调节细胞内贮存钙的释放。     

Depolarization and Agonist-Stimulated Changes in Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate and Inositol 1,3,4,5-Tetrakisphosphate Mass Accumulation in Rat Cerebral Cortex

Muscarinic receptor stimulation or depolarization with elevated extracellular K+ induced rapid and sustained increases in mass accumulations of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and myo-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] in cerebral cortex slices. Synergistic but transient responses of both inositol polyphosphate second messengers were observed when slices were stimulated with carbachol under depolarizing conditions; this synergy was observed as an increase in the maximal responsiveness, with no significant change in EC50 values for carbachol. Omission of buffer Ca2+ ([Ca2+]e 10-20 microM) reduced basal Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 concentrations; the relative stimulatory effects of muscarinic receptor stimulation were maintained, but the effects of depolarization were markedly attenuated under these conditions. A component of the response to depolarization appeared to be indirectly mediated by the release of acetylcholine, because the K(+)-evoked increase in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was enhanced by the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine, and was partially attenuated by atropine. An additive suppression by nitrendipine suggests that entry of Ca2+ through L-type Ca2+ channels may serve to accelerate phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 by 3-kinase. Norepinephrine did not significantly increase Ins(1,4,5)P3 or Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 accumulation; however, in the presence of depolarizing K+, norepinephrine caused a dramatic increase in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 mass accumulation. In contrast, the excitatory amino acid quisqualate caused significant increases in the mass accumulations of both inositol polyphosphates measured, with no further increase being observed under depolarizing conditions. The results are discussed with respect to the interactive effects of agonist and depolarization stimuli on inositol polyphosphate accumulation which might more accurately reflect the conditions pertaining in vivo.     

The role of ion channels in insulin secretion.

Ion channels in beta cells regulate electrical and secretory activity in response to metabolic, pharmacologic, or neural signals by controlling the permeability to K+ and Ca2+. The ATP-sensitive K+ channels act as a switch that responds to fuel secretagogues or sulfonylureas to initiate depolarization. This depolarization opens voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC) to increase the amplitude of free cytosolic Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]i), which triggers exocytosis. Acetyl choline and vasopressin (VP) both potentiate the acute effects of glucose on insulin secretion by generating inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to release intracellular Ca2+; VP also potentiates sustained insulin secretion by effects on depolarization. In contrast, inhibitors of insulin secretion decrease [Ca2+]i by either hyperpolarizing the beta cell or by receptor-mediated, G-protein-coupled effects to decrease VDCC activity. Repolarization is initiated by voltage- and Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels. A human insulinoma voltage-dependent K+ channel cDNA was recently cloned and two types of alpha 1 subunits of the VDCC have been identified in insulin-secreting cell lines. Determining how ion channels regulate insulin secretion in normal and diabetic beta cells should provide pathophysiologic insight into the beta cell signal transduction defect characteristic of non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM).     

Roles of purinergic P2X receptors as pacemaking channels and modulators of calcium-mobilizing pathway in pituitary gonadotrophs

Anterior pituitary cells release ATP and express several subtypes of purinergic P2 receptors, but their biophysical properties and roles in spontaneous and receptor-controlled electrical activity have not been characterized. Here we focused on extracellular ATP actions in gonadotrophs from embryonic, neonatal, and adult rats. In cells from all three age groups, the Ca2+-mobilizing agonist GnRH induced oscillatory, hyperpolarizing, nondesensitizing, and slow deactivating currents. In contrast, ATP induced nonoscillatory, depolarizing, slowly desensitizing, and rapidly deactivating current, indicating that these cells express cation-conducting P2X channels but not Ca2+-mobilizing P2Y receptors. The amplitudes of P2X current response and the rates of receptor desensitization were dependent on ATP concentration. The biophysical and pharmacological properties of P2X currents were consistent with the expression of P2X2 subtype of channels in these cells. ATP-induced rapid depolarization of gonadotrophs lead to initiation of firing in quiescent cells, an increase in the frequency of action potentials in spontaneously active cells, and a transient stimulation of LH release. ATP also influenced GnRH-induced current and membrane potential oscillations and LH release in an extracellular Ca2+-dependent manner. These inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-dependent oscillations were facilitated, slowed, or stopped, depending of ATP concentration, the time of its application, and the level of Ca2+ content in intracellular stores. These results indicate that, in gonadotrophs, P2X receptors could operate as pacemaking channels and modulators of GnRH-controlled electrical activity and secretion.