[Ca
2؉] i and the Cl ؊ current were measured in isolated submandibular gland acinar and duct cells to characterize and localize the purinergic receptors expressed in these cells. In both cell types 2-3-benzoylbenzoyl (Bz)-ATP and ATP increased [Ca 2؉ ] i mainly by activation of Ca 2؉ influx. UTP had only minimal effect on [Ca 2؉ ] i at concentrations between 0.1 and 1 mM. However, a whole cell current recording showed that all nucleotides effectively activated Cl ؊ currents. Inhibition of signal transduction through G proteins by guanyl-5--thiophosphate revealed that the effect of ATP on Cl ؊ current was mediated in part by activation of a G protein-coupled and in part by a G protein-independent receptor. BzATP activated exclusively the G protein-independent portion, whereas UTP activated only the G protein- Ϫ . Acinar cells secrete the primary, NaCl-rich fluid into the duct, which reabsorbs most of the NaCl in exchange for K ϩ -HCO 3 Ϫ (1). As in any other CFTR-expressing tissues (2-4) and Na ϩ -transporting epithelia (5), Cl Ϫ channels play a central role in transcellular ion transport in the two cell types of SMG (1). However, unlike that of other epithelia, little is known of the regulation of Cl Ϫ channels in salivary gland cells, in particular regulation by purinergic (P 2 ) receptors.In the intact salivary gland secretion is regulated by several agonists, which include cholinergic, ␣-adrenergic, and -adrenergic agonists (6 -8). The agonists act on both acinar and duct cells but modulate different activities in the two cell types. In acinar cells the agonists stimulate secretion primarily by stimulation of the basolateral NaKCl 2 cotransporter (9). In the duct the same agonists reduce the transepithelial potential and Na ϩ reabsorption (6 -8). Work on the cellular level showed that cholinergic and ␣-adrenergic agonists act on salivary acinar and duct cells to increase [Ca 2ϩ ] i (10 -15), and -adrenergic agonists increase cAMP (11,16).Salivary acinar and duct cells also respond to purinergic stimulation by a change in [Ca 2ϩ ] i (15,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). However, the identity of the receptors and their membrane localization is not clear. Response of duct cells to BzATP and several other nucleotides suggested that duct cells express P 2 z and P 2 Y 1 receptors (37). Response of acinar cells to BzATP was interpreted to suggest that acinar cells express P 2 z receptors (20, 22). More recently it was shown that acinar and duct cells in long term culture up-regulate the P 2 Y 2 receptors (23). However, whether native and freshly isolated cells express P 2 Y 2 receptors and how these and other purinergic receptors regulate cellular activity is not known. P 2 receptors are believed to play a central role in regulating Cl Ϫ transport in CFTR-expressing tissues (3, 4, 24 -27). Because of our recent findings of CFTR expression in SMG duct and acinar cells (28) and the expression of P 2 receptors in SMG cells (15,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22), in the present work we studied the regulation of Cl Ϫ channel...