Purinergic Receptor P2X, Ligand Gated Ion Channel 7 (P2RX7)

P2X purinoceptor 7 is a protein belongs to the family of purinoceptors for ATP. This receptor functions as a ligand-gated ion channel and is responsible for ATP-dependent lysis of macrophages through the formation of membrane pores permeable to large molecules. Multiple alternatively spliced variants which would encode different isoforms have been identified although some fit nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) criteria.

In experiments using pericyte-containing microvessels isolated from adult rat retina, they found that soon after the onset of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, markedly lower P2X7 agonist concentrations effectively opened pores and triggered apoptosis in the retinal microvasculature.