Extracellular nucleotides and nucleosides as signalling molecules

Extracellular nucleotides, mainly ATP, but also ADP, UTP, UDP and UDP-sugars, adenosine, and adenine base participate in the “purinergic signalling” pathway, an ubiquitous system of cell-to-cell communication. Fundamental pathophysiological processes such as tissue homeostasis, wound healing, neurodegeneration, immunity, inflammation and cancer are modulated by purinergic signalling. Nucleotides can be released from cells via unspecific or specific mechanisms. A non-regulated nucleotide release can occur from damaged or dying cells, whereas exocytotic granules, plasma membrane-derived microvesicles, membrane channels (connexins, pannexins, calcium homeostasis modulator (CALHM) channels and P2X7 receptor) or specific ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in the controlled release. Four families of specific receptors, i.e. nucleotide P2X and P2Y receptors, adenosine P1 receptors, and the adenine-selective P0 receptor, and several ecto- nucleotidases are essential components of the “purinergic signalling” pathway. Thanks to the activity of ecto-nucleotidases, ATP (and possibly other nucleotides) are degraded into additional messenger molecules with specific action. The final biological effects depend on the type and amount of released nucleotides, their modification by ecto-nucleotidases, and their possible cellular re-uptake. Overall, these processes confer a remarkable level of selectivity and plasticity to purinergic signalling that makes this network one of the most relevant extracellular messenger systems in higher organisms.