Voltage gating of mechanosensitive PIEZO channels
Mirko Moroni1, M Rocio Servin-Vences2, Raluca Fleischer2
1Department of Neuroscience, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13092, Berlin, Germany. mirko.moroni@mdc-berlin.de.
PIEZO ion channels, essential for physiology, are modulated by voltage, not just mechanical stimuli. This voltage sensitivity, especially in older PIEZO proteins, adds a regulatory mechanism for channel activation.
Area of Science:
- Ion channel biophysics
- Molecular physiology
- Cellular mechanics
Background:
- Mechanosensitive PIEZO ion channels are crucial for physiological functions in multicellular organisms.
- Their role in sensing mechanical stimuli is well-established.
- Understanding additional regulatory mechanisms is vital for comprehending PIEZO channel function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of voltage in modulating PIEZO ion channel activity.
- To explore the voltage-gated potential of PIEZO channels.
- To analyze the impact of disease-associated mutations on PIEZO channel voltage sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings to assess channel gating.
- Site-directed mutagenesis to study disease-associated mutations.
- Comparative analysis of PIEZO channel variants across species.
Main Results:
- PIEZO channels are powerfully modulated by membrane voltage, in addition to mechanical stimuli.
- PIEZO1 channels can exhibit purely voltage-gated behavior.
- Disease-causing mutations in PIEZO1 shift voltage sensitivity, promoting voltage gating.
- Inactivation gate in the pore may explain voltage modulation, favoring outward permeation.
- Older PIEZO channel homologs show prominent voltage-gated properties.
Conclusions:
- Voltage sensitivity is an intrinsic property of PIEZO ion channels.
- Voltage gating provides an additional regulatory layer for PIEZO channel activation.
- This regulatory mechanism is conserved across species and cellular contexts.
More Related Videos
11:42Reconstitution of a Transmembrane Protein, the Voltage-gated Ion Channel, KvAP, into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles for Microscopy and Patch Clamp Studies
Published on: January 22, 2015
07:31Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques
Published on: September 27, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Voltage-gated Ion Channels
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory...
Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
