An ATP-gated ion channel at the cell nucleus

Abstract

Transcriptional activity inside the nucleus of eukaryotic cells is regulated by ions such as calcium that need to be transported across the nuclear membrane. Here we show that an ion channel spanning the nuclear envelope between the cytoplasm and the nucleus could be regulated by an ATP-binding receptor of the P2X7 subtype. Activation of this nuclear P2X7 receptor by ATP in the cytoplasm may be a mechanism by which cellular activity can be coupled to changes in gene expression.