Proteins are the building blocks of cells in animal tissue. Our laboratory has been focusing its research on proteins involved in communicating messages from one cell to another in nervous tissue, i.e., the receivers/translators of the message. This proposal will concentrate on the role of the protein called P2X2 that receives messages from the messenger known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We have recently discovered a new form of the protein called P2X2-3. We have determined that this new protein has a very unusual structure. Based on this unusual structure, we surmise that P2X2-3 may have a special role in cells. This role may be to translate a special type of message to the cell when the messenger, ATP, is received. Therefore, this proposal will investigate the function of P2X2-3 in cells. We will determine how it is functionally different from other related proteins. These goals will be accomplished by first studying the proteins by placing them into special cells where their function can be defined without any other proteins interfering with the study. Then we will determine what cells in tissue already make the protein to be studied and we will study the protein in these cells. Finally, the results obtained in isolation will be compared to results obtained from cells obtained from the tissue. We predict that the properties of the proteins in the cells from the tissue will be determined by the properties of the proteins observed in isolation. In this manner, we will define the role of P2X2-3 in cells. These results will also allow us to predict the role of similar proteins in nervous tissue
