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Related Concept Videos

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects
07:32

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects

Published on: September 1, 2016

Mechanosensitive channels: in touch with Piezo.

Rui Xiao1, X Z Shawn Xu

  • 1Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|November 9, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists discovered Piezo1 and Piezo2, a new family of proteins, that act as the elusive mechanosensitive channels. These channels are essential for sensing touch, hearing, and body position.

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Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects
07:32

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Published on: September 1, 2016

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Mechanosensory transduction is crucial for senses like touch and hearing.
  • The molecular components of mechanosensitive channels have remained largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the molecular identity of mechanosensitive channels involved in force-gated cellular responses.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized genetic and electrophysiological approaches to investigate mechanosensitive channel activity.

Main Results:

  • Identified Piezo1 and Piezo2 as a novel class of proteins forming mechanosensitive channels.
  • Demonstrated the direct gating of these channels by mechanical forces.

Conclusions:

  • Piezo1 and Piezo2 represent key molecular players in mechanosensory transduction.
  • These findings open new avenues for understanding sensory biology and related disorders.