A state-of-the-art summary from leading laboratories around the world of our current knowledge of the molecular biology, the physiology, and the pharmacology of the P2 receptors. The authoritative contributions cover the major aspects of these receptors, describing the relationships between physiological and pharmacological effects of ATP and other nucleotides and the various cloned P2 receptors, as well as providing an historical perspective and discussing current issues of nomenclature. They also illuminate how P2 receptor structures contribute to their function, including the physical differences underlying the pharmacological and functional variations among P2 receptor subtypes.

Inhalt
I. Historical Perspectives of P2 Nucleotide Receptors.- 1 · History of Extracellular Nucleotides and Their Receptors.- II. Pharmacological and Molecular Characterization of P2 Nucleotide Receptors.- 2 · P2X Receptors: Cloned and Expressed.- 3 · The Cloning and Expression of G Protein-Coupled P2Y Nucleotide Receptors.- 4 · Structure Activity Relationships of P2 Receptor Agonists and Antagonists.- 5 · Pharmacological Selectivities of Molecularly Defined Subtypes of P2Y Receptors.- 6 · P2 Receptor Modeling and Identification of Ligand Binding Sites.- III. Mechanisms of P2 Nucleotide Receptor Action.- 7 · Nucleotide Receptors Coupling to the Phospholipase C Signaling Pathway.- 8 · Cyclic AMP and Tyrosine Kinase Cascades in the Regulation of Cellular Function by P2Y Nucleotide Receptors.- 9 · Characteristics of Ligand-Gated Ion Channel P2 Nucleotide Receptors.- 10 · Cell Responses Initiated by Ecto-Kinases.- IV. Physiological Roles for P2 Nucleotide Receptors.- 11 · Functions of Extracellular Nucleotides in Peripheral and Central Neuronal Tissues.- 12 · Role of Purinoceptors in the Regulation of Lung Surfactant Secretion.- 13 · The Role of Nucleotide Receptors in the Cardiovascular System.- 14 · Physiological Roles for P2 Receptors in Platelets, Visceral Smooth Muscle, and the Immune and Endocrine Systems.- 15 · Therapeutic Applications for Nucleotides in Lung Disease.- V. Future Vistas.- 16 · Future Directions in P2 Receptor Research.