Veterinary World

 

Open Access

Copyright: The authors. This article is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

---

Review (Published online: 13-01-2014)

4. Functional biology of ion channels: a review - Subhashree Sarangi, A. P. K. Mahapatra, A. K. Kundu and S. Mohapatra
Veterinary World, 7(1): 13-16

 

doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2014.13-16

 

 

 

 

---

Abstract

---

Over the past few decades, a great deal of attention has been focused on discovering the protein partners that form mechano-electrical transduction (MeT) channels in somatic mechanoreceptors. Two classes of ion channel proteins are leading candidates: amiloride-sensitive channel (ASCs) and transient receptor potential (TRP) channel proteins. Here, we surveyed the literature to establish that most, if not all mechanoreceptor neurons in mice express multiple ASC and TRP channel proteins. But, the landscape of ion channel co-expression in mechanoreceptor neurons is only beginning to be mapped. Future work aimed at refining such maps for mammalian mechanoreceptor neurons will be critical for deeper understanding. Also, each of these potential MeT channel subunits operates within a large company of other ion channel actors that increase the complexity, flexibility, and robustness of somatosensory neuron function. Recently, two additional classes of membrane proteins (Piezo and TMC) have been linked to mechano-transduction. This situation is likely to exist in other mechanoreceptor neurons, including those responsible for touch and pain sensation in mammals.
Keywords: mechano-electrical transduction (MeT) channels, amiloride-sensitive channels (ASCs), transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, mechanoreceptor neuron, somatosensory neuron

---

References

---

1. Rieke, F., and Rudd, M.E. (2009) The challenges natural images pose for visual adaptation. Neuron 64: 605–616. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2009.11.028 PMid:20005818

2. H. S. Vedpathak, P. H. Tank, A. S. Karle, H. K. Mahida, D.O. Joshi and M. A. Dhami (2009) Pain Management in Veterinary Patients. Veterinary World, 2(9):360-363

3. Shana L. Geffeney and Miriam B. Goodman (2012) How We Feel: Ion Channel Partnerships that Detect Mechanical Inputs and Give Rise to Touch and Pain Perception. Neuron Review . 74: 609-619. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.04.023 PMid:22632719 PMCid:PMC3371091

4. Smith, E.S.J., Omerba si c, D., Lechner, S.G., Anirudhan, G., Lapatsina, L., and Lewin, G.R. (2011) The molecular basis of acid insensitivity in the African naked mole-rat. Science 334: 1557–1560.

5. William A. Catterall (2010) Ion Channel Voltage Sensors: Structure, Function, and Pathophysiology. Neuron Review. 67: 915-928. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.021 PMid:20869590 PMCid:PMC2950829

6. Hodgkin, A.L., and Huxley, A.F. (1952) A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve. J. Physiol.117: 500–544. PMid:12991237

7. Kuzmenkin, A., Bezanilla, F., and Correa, A.M. (2004) Gating of the bacterial sodium channel, NaChBac: voltage- dependent charge movement and gating currents. J. Gen. Physiol. 124: 349–356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1085/jgp.200409139 PMid:15365092 PMCid:PMC2233907

8. Sato, C., Ueno, Y., Asai, K., Takahashi, K., Sato, M., Engel, A., and Fujiyoshi, Y. (2001) The voltage-sensitive sodium channel is a bell-shaped molecule with several cavities. Nature 409:1047–1051. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35059098 PMid:11234014

9. Long, S.B., Tao, X., Campbell, E.B., and MacKinnon, R. (2007) Atomic structure of a voltage-dependent K+ channel in a lipid membrane-like environment. Nature 450: 376–382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature06265 PMid:18004376

10. Cohen, L., Gilles, N., Karbat, I., Ilan, N., Gordon, D., and Gurevitz, M. (2006) Direct evidence that receptor site-4 of sodium channel gating modifiers is not dipped in the phospholipid bilayer of neuronal membranes. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 20673–20679. http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M603212200 PMid:16720570

11. Schmidt, D., Jiang, Q. X., and MacKinnon, R. (2006) Phospholipids and the origin of cationic gating charges in voltage sensors. Nature 444: 775–779. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature05416 PMid:17136096

12. Adrian, E.D. (1926) The impulses produced by sensory nerve-endings: Part 4.Impulses from Pain Receptors. J. Physiol. 62: 33–51. PMid:16993827

13. Hunter, S., Jones, P., Mitchell, A., Apweiler, R., Attwood, T.K., Bateman, A., Bernard, T., Binns, D., Bork, P., Burge, S., (2012) InterPro in 2011: new developments in the family and domain prediction database. Nucleic Acids Res.40 (Database issue), D306–D312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkr948 PMid:22096229 PMCid:PMC3245097

14. Gonzales, E.B., Kawate, T., and Gouaux, E. (2009) Pore architecture and ion sites in acid-sensing ion channels and P2X receptors. Nature 460: 599–604. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature08218 PMid:19641589 PMCid:PMC2845979

15. Jasti, J., Furukawa, H., Gonzales, E.B., and Gouaux, E. (2007) Structure of acid-sensing ion channel 1 at 1.9 A resolution and low pH. Nature 449: 316–323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature06163 PMid:17882215

16. Deval, E., Gasull, X., Noe¨ l, J., Salinas, M., Baron, A., Diochot, S., and Lingueglia, E. (2010) Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs): pharmacology and implication in pain. Pharmacol. Ther. 128: 549–558. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2010.08.006 PMid:20807551

17. Donier, E., Rugiero, F., Jacob, C., and Wood, J.N. (2008) Regulation of ASIC activity by ASIC4—new insights into ASIC channel function revealed by a yeast two-hybrid assay. Eur. J. Neurosci. 28: 74–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06282.x PMid:18662336

18. Hesselager, M., Timmermann, D.B., and Ahring, P.K. (2004) pH Dependency and desensitization kinetics of heterologously expressed combinations of acid-sensing ion channel subunits. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 11006–11015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M313507200 PMid:14701823

19. Venkatachalam, K., and Montell, C. (2007) TRP channels. Annu. Rev.Biochem. 76: 387–417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.biochem.75.103004.142819 PMid:17579562

20. Coste, B., Mathur, J., Schmidt, M., Earley, T.J., Ranade, S., Petrus, M.J., Dubin, A.E., and Patapoutian, A. (2010) Piezo1 and Piezo2 are essential components of distinct mechanically activated cation channels. Science 330: 55–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1193270 PMid:20813920 PMCid:PMC3062430

21. Coste, B., Xiao, B., Santos, J.S., Syeda, R., Grandl, J., Spencer, K.S., Kim, S.E., Schmidt, M., Mathur, J., Dubin, A.E. (2012) Piezo proteins are pore-forming subunits of mechanically activated channels. Nature 483: 176–181 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature10812 PMid:22343900 PMCid:PMC3297710

22. Kawashima, Y., Ge´ le´ oc, G.S.G., Kurima, K., Labay, V., Lelli, A., Asai, Y., Makishima, T., Wu, D.K., Della Santina, C.C., Holt, J.R., and Griffith, A.J. (2011) Mechanotrans- duction in mouse inner ear hair cells requires transmembrane channel-like genes 1 and 2. J. Clin. Invest. 121: 4796–4809. http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI60405 PMid:22105175 PMCid:PMC3223072

23. Kim, S.E., Coste, B., Chadha, A., Cook, B., and Patapoutian, A. (2012) The role of Drosophila Piezo in mechanical nociception. Nature 483: 209–212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature10801 PMid:22343891 PMCid:PMC3297676