Keeping active channels in their place: membrane phosphoinositides regulate TRPM channel activity in a...

We have long appreciated that the controlled movement of ions and solutes across the cell surface or plasma membrane affects every aspect of cell function, ranging from membrane excitability to metabolism to secretion, and is also critical for the long-term maintenance of cell viability. Studies examining these physiological transport processes have revealed a vast array of ion channels, transporters and ATPase-driven pumps that underlie these transmembrane ionic movements and how acquired or genetic disruption of these processes are linked to disease. More recently, it has become evident that the ongoing function of intracellular organelles and subcellular compartments also depends heavily on the controlled movement of ions to establish distinct pH or ionic environments. However, limited experimental access to these subcellular domains/structures has hampered scientific progress in this area, due in large part to the difficulty of applying proven functional assays, such as patch clamp and radiotracer methodologies, to these specialized membrane locations. Using both functional and immune-labeling assays, we now know that the types and complement of channels, transporters and pumps located within intracellular membranes and organelles often differ from those present on the plasma membrane. Moreover, it appears that this differential distribution is due to the presence of discrete tags/signals present within these transport proteins that dictate their sorting/trafficking to spatially discrete membrane compartments, where they may also interact with scaffolding proteins that help maintain their localization. Such targeting signals may thus operate in a manner analogous to the way a postal code is used to direct the delivery of a letter.