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Immune cell regulation by autocrine purinergic signalling

2011; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 11; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/nri2938

1474-1741

Wolfgang G. Junger,

Complement system in diseases

Here, Wolfgang Junger discusses the importance of purinergic receptor signalling for fine-tuning immune cell responses. Autocrine signalling through purinergic receptors can both amplify and inhibit leukocyte functions; the author explains how this is important for sensing chemotactic gradients and detecting rare antigens. Stimulation of almost all mammalian cell types leads to the release of cellular ATP and autocrine feedback through a diverse array of purinergic receptors. Depending on the types of purinergic receptors that are involved, autocrine signalling can promote or inhibit cell activation and fine-tune functional responses. Recent work has shown that autocrine signalling is an important checkpoint in immune cell activation and allows immune cells to adjust their functional responses based on the extracellular cues provided by their environment. This Review focuses on the roles of autocrine purinergic signalling in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses and discusses the potential of targeting purinergic receptors for treating immune-mediated disease.