Abstract 2234 Developing an Acid-Resistant ATP Sensor

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) plays an extensive role in purinergic signaling which is a type of cell to cell communication for immune responses. The release of ATP by neurons acts as a guide for the central nervous system's immune cells, microglia, which form junctions between themselves and the neuron cell at the site of extracellular ATP release. These microglia tend to be activated after a stroke, or the early stages of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, allowing for purinergic communication between the neuronal cell and the microglia.