A144 A NEW ROLE OF THE P2X7 RECEPTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTESTINAL EPITHELIUM

摘要

BackgroundThe P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is an extracellular ATP-gated cation channel and its activation results in numerous downstream events including the release of inflammatory mediators and modulation of cell proliferation and death. P2X7R is expressed in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC), but its role is still poorly understood. We have shown that P2X7R was expressed in the top 2/3 of rat’s jejunum villi and that its activation decreased intestinal glucose absorption. At the transcriptional level, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) drives P2RX7 gene expression in the small intestine. We observed that P2X7R expression coincides with CDX2 accumulation, an IEC transcription factor (TF) that regulates cell differentiation. CDX2 cooperates with several TFs such as GATA4. For this project, we hypothesized that P2X7R expression along the crypt-villus axis is differentially regulated, and that its expression is crucial for proper intestinal function.