Characterization of recombinant human P2X(4) receptor reveals pharmacological differences to the rat homologue

We isolated a cDNA from human brain encoding a purinergic receptor that shows a high degree of homology to the rat P2X(4) receptor (87% identity). By fluorescence in situ hybridization, the human P2X(4) gene has been mapped to region q24.32 of chromosome 12. Tissue distribution analysis of human P2X(4) transcripts demonstrates a broad expression pattern in that the mRNA was detected not only in brain but also in all tissues tested. Heterologous expression of the human P2X(4) receptor in Xenopus laevis oocytes and human embryonic kidney 293 cells evoked an ATP-activated channel. Simultaneous whole-cell current and Fura-2 fluorescence measurements in human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with human P2X(4) cDNA allowed us to determine the fraction of the current carried by Ca2+; this was similar to 8%, demonstrating a high Ca2+ permeability. Low extracellular Zn2+ concentrations (5-10 mu M) increase the apparent gating efficiency of human P2X(4) by ATP without affecting the maximal response. However, raising the concentration of the divalent cation (>100 mu M) inhibits the ATP-evoked current in a non-voltage-dependent manner. The human P2X(4) receptor displays a very similar agonist potency profile to that of rat P2X(4) (ATP much greater than 2-methylthio-ATP greater than or equal to CTP > alpha,beta-methylene-ATP > dATP) but has a notably higher sensitivity for the antagonists suramin, pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid, and bromphenol blue. Chimeric constructs between human and rat isoforms as well as single-point mutations were engineered to map the regions responsible for the different sensitivity to suramin and pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid.