P2X 4 and P2X 7 are the predominant purinergic P2X receptor subtypes expressed on immune and neural cells. These receptor subtypes traffic between intracellular compartments and the plasma membrane and form protein interactions with each other to regulate ATPdependent signaling. Our recent studies have shown that P2X 7 receptors in neurons and astrocytes activate NLRP1 inflammasomes, but whether P2X 4 receptors regulate inflammasome signaling is essentially unknown. Here, we demonstrate that P2X 4 receptors are expressed in neurons of the spinal cord. We provide direct evidence that spinal cord injury (SCI) induces an innate inflammatory response that leads to increased caspase-l cleavage and
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