The mechanisms underlying neurogenesis and regeneration after injury are still poorly understood. The olfactory epithelium is a site of continuous cell turnover. Olfactory receptor neurons and non-neuronal supporting cells are constantly replenished from a pool of neural stem cells, known as basal cells. Among others, purinergic signalling pathways have been identified to mediate epithelial damage and initiate regenerative processes. Here, we study the olfactory epithelium of larval Xenopus laevis to specify the purinergic receptors involved and how they link to intraepithelial signalling pathways. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we found that the majority of supporting cells and a subpopulation of basal cells express P2Y₂ receptor subtypes. This finding supports that basal cells express additional P2Y receptor subtypes, which remain to be identified. These results also support a differential expression of purinergic receptors based on basal cell type or physiological state. Additionally, we first established a reliable method for cultivating primary cells from Xenopus, which allows us to utilize different molecular and functional approaches. We investigated the response characteristics of these receptors upon application of nucleotides via functional calcium imaging in primary epithelial cell cultures and whole mounts of the olfactory epithelium. ATP was confirmed as a potent activator. Thus, ATP release within the olfactory epithelium is potentially an important part of intraepithelial signalling. The source of extracellular ATP in the olfactory epithelium is still unclear and we are currently searching for possible pathways of nucleotide release.