Maria Teresa Miras Portugal: a pioneer in the study of purinoceptors in chromaffin cells

Maria Teresa Miras Portugal devoted most of her scientific life to the study of purinergic signalling. In an important part of her work, she used a model system: the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. It was in these cells that she identified diadenosine polyphosphates, from which she proceeded to the study of adrenomedullary purinome: nucleotide synthesis and degradation, adenosine transport, nucleotide uptake into chromaffin granules, exocytotic release of nucleotides and autocrine regulation of chromaffin cell function via purinoceptors. This short review will focus on the current state of knowledge of the purinoceptors of adrenal chromaffin cells, a subject to which Maria Teresa made seminal contributions and which she continued to study until the end of her scientific life.

Automated summary

Maria Teresa Miras Portugal dedicated her scientific research to the study of purinergic signaling, primarily using chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. She identified diadenosine polyphosphates in these cells and further investigated the purinoceptors involved in adrenal chromaffin cell function. This short review focuses on Maria Teresa's seminal contributions to the understanding of purinoceptors in adrenal chromaffin cells.