TRPV1 expression-dependent initiation and regulation of filopodia

Transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1), a non-selective cation channel, is present endogenously in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. It is involved in the recognition of various pain producing physical and chemical stimuli. In this work, we demonstrate that expression of TRPV1 induces neurite-like structures and filopodia and that the expressed protein is localized at the filopodial tips. Exogenous expression of TRPV1 induces filopodia both in DRG neuron-derived F11 cells and in non-neuronal cells, such as HeLa and human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. We find that some of the TRPV1 expression-induced filopodia contain microtubules and microtubule-associated components, and establish cell-to-cell extensions. Using live cell microscopy, we demonstrate that the filopodia are responsive to TRPV1-specific ligands. But both, initiation and subsequent cell-to-cell extension formation, is independent of TRPV1 channel activity. The N-terminal intracellular domain of TRPV1 is sufficient for filopodial structure initiation while the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain is involved in the stabilization of microtubules within these structures. In addition, exogenous expression of TRPV1 results in altered cellular distribution and in enhanced endogenous expression of non-conventional myosin motors, namely myosin IIA and myosin IIIA. These data indicate a novel role of TRPV1 in the regulation of cellular morphology and cellular contact formation.