Physiologic roles of P2 receptors in leukocytes

Since their discovery in the 1970s, purinergic receptors have been shown to play key roles in a wide variety of biologic systems and cell types. In the immune system, purinergic receptors participate in innate immunity and in the modulation of the adaptive immune response. In particular, P2 receptors, which respond to extracellular nucleotides, are widely expressed on leukocytes, causing the release of cytokines and chemokines and the formation of inflammatory mediators, and inducing phagocytosis, degranulation, and cell death. The activity of these receptors is regulated by ectonucleotidases—expressed in these same cell types—which regulate the availability of nucleotides in the extracellular environment. In this article, we review the characteristics of the main purinergic receptor subtypes present in the immune system, focusing on the P2 family. In addition, we describe the physiologic roles of the P2 receptors already identified in leukocytes and how they can positively or negatively modulate the development of infectious diseases, inflammation, and pain.