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Wu X, Shang T, Lü X, Luo D, Yang D. A monomeric structure of human TMEM63A protein. Proteins 2024; 92:750-756. [PMID: 38217391 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
OSCA/TMEM63 is a newly identified family of mechanically activated (MA) ion channels in plants and animals, respectively, which convert physical forces into electrical signals or trigger intracellular cascades and are essential for eukaryotic physiology. OSCAs and related TMEM16s and transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins form homodimers with two pores. However, the molecular architecture of the mammalian TMEM63 proteins remains unclear. Here we elucidate the structure of human TMEM63A in the presence of calcium by single particle cryo-EM, revealing a distinct monomeric architecture containing eleven transmembrane helices. It has structural similarity to the single subunit of the Arabidopsis thaliana OSCA proteins. We locate the ion permeation pathway within the monomeric configuration and observe a nonprotein density resembling lipid. These results lay a foundation for understanding the structural organization of OSCA/TMEM63A family proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuening Wu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology (Laboratory of Reconstructive Urology), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tiantian Shang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology (Laboratory of Reconstructive Urology), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinyi Lü
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology (Laboratory of Reconstructive Urology), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Deyi Luo
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology (Laboratory of Reconstructive Urology), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dongxue Yang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology (Laboratory of Reconstructive Urology), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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2
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Liang L, Song X, Zhao H, Lim CT. Insights into the mechanobiology of cancer metastasis via microfluidic technologies. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:021506. [PMID: 38841688 PMCID: PMC11151435 DOI: 10.1063/5.0195389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
During cancer metastasis, cancer cells will encounter various microenvironments with diverse physical characteristics. Changes in these physical characteristics such as tension, stiffness, viscosity, compression, and fluid shear can generate biomechanical cues that affect cancer cells, dynamically influencing numerous pathophysiological mechanisms. For example, a dense extracellular matrix drives cancer cells to reorganize their cytoskeleton structures, facilitating confined migration, while this dense and restricted space also acts as a physical barrier that potentially results in nuclear rupture. Identifying these pathophysiological processes and understanding their underlying mechanobiological mechanisms can aid in the development of more effective therapeutics targeted to cancer metastasis. In this review, we outline the advances of engineering microfluidic devices in vitro and their role in replicating tumor microenvironment to mimic in vivo settings. We highlight the potential cellular mechanisms that mediate their ability to adapt to different microenvironments. Meanwhile, we also discuss some important mechanical cues that still remain challenging to replicate in current microfluidic devices in future direction. While much remains to be explored about cancer mechanobiology, we believe the developments of microfluidic devices will reveal how these physical cues impact the behaviors of cancer cells. It will be crucial in the understanding of cancer metastasis, and potentially contributing to better drug development and cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanfeng Liang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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3
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West AK, Schneider ER. A novel suppressor of Piezo2 in rodent nociceptors. Trends Neurosci 2024:S0166-2236(24)00083-3. [PMID: 38762363 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Members of both the Piezo and transmembrane channel-like (TMC) families are bona fide mammalian mechanotransducers. In a recent study, Zhang, Shao et al. discovered that TMC7, a non-mechanosensitive TMC, inhibits Piezo2-dependent mechanosensation, with implications for the importance of cellular context for Piezo2 channels in normal and pathological responses to mechanical pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Keith West
- University of Kentucky Biology Department, 311 Thomas Hunt Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Eve Rebecca Schneider
- University of Kentucky Biology Department, 311 Thomas Hunt Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, USA.
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4
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Coste B, Delmas P. PIEZO Ion Channels in Cardiovascular Functions and Diseases. Circ Res 2024; 134:572-591. [PMID: 38422173 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.123.322798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The cardiovascular system provides blood supply throughout the body and as such is perpetually applying mechanical forces to cells and tissues. Thus, this system is primed with mechanosensory structures that respond and adapt to changes in mechanical stimuli. Since their discovery in 2010, PIEZO ion channels have dominated the field of mechanobiology. These have been proposed as the long-sought-after mechanosensitive excitatory channels involved in touch and proprioception in mammals. However, more and more pieces of evidence point to the importance of PIEZO channels in cardiovascular activities and disease development. PIEZO channel-related cardiac functions include transducing hemodynamic forces in endothelial and vascular cells, red blood cell homeostasis, platelet aggregation, and arterial blood pressure regulation, among others. PIEZO channels contribute to pathological conditions including cardiac hypertrophy and pulmonary hypertension and congenital syndromes such as generalized lymphatic dysplasia and xerocytosis. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding the role of PIEZO channels in cardiovascular functions and diseases. Achievements in this quickly expanding field should open a new road for efficient control of PIEZO-related diseases in cardiovascular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Coste
- Centre de Recherche en CardioVasculaire et Nutrition, Aix-Marseille Université - INSERM 1263 - INRAE 1260, Marseille, France
| | - Patrick Delmas
- Centre de Recherche en CardioVasculaire et Nutrition, Aix-Marseille Université - INSERM 1263 - INRAE 1260, Marseille, France
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5
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Jammal Salameh L, Bitzenhofer SH, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Dutschmann M, Egger V. Blood pressure pulsations modulate central neuronal activity via mechanosensitive ion channels. Science 2024; 383:eadk8511. [PMID: 38301001 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk8511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The transmission of the heartbeat through the cerebral vascular system causes intracranial pressure pulsations. We discovered that arterial pressure pulsations can directly modulate central neuronal activity. In a semi-intact rat brain preparation, vascular pressure pulsations elicited correlated local field oscillations in the olfactory bulb mitral cell layer. These oscillations did not require synaptic transmission but reflected baroreceptive transduction in mitral cells. This transduction was mediated by a fast excitatory mechanosensitive ion channel and modulated neuronal spiking activity. In awake animals, the heartbeat entrained the activity of a subset of olfactory bulb neurons within ~20 milliseconds. Thus, we propose that this fast, intrinsic interoceptive mechanism can modulate perception-for example, during arousal-within the olfactory bulb and possibly across various other brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna Jammal Salameh
- Neurophysiology Group, Zoological Institute, Regensburg University, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian H Bitzenhofer
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mathias Dutschmann
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Veronica Egger
- Neurophysiology Group, Zoological Institute, Regensburg University, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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6
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Zheng W, Rawson S, Shen Z, Tamilselvan E, Smith HE, Halford J, Shen C, Murthy SE, Ulbrich MH, Sotomayor M, Fu TM, Holt JR. TMEM63 proteins function as monomeric high-threshold mechanosensitive ion channels. Neuron 2023; 111:3195-3210.e7. [PMID: 37543036 PMCID: PMC10592209 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
OSCA/TMEM63s form mechanically activated (MA) ion channels in plants and animals, respectively. OSCAs and related TMEM16s and transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins form homodimers with two pores. Here, we uncover an unanticipated monomeric configuration of TMEM63 proteins. Structures of TMEM63A and TMEM63B (referred to as TMEM63s) revealed a single highly restricted pore. Functional analyses demonstrated that TMEM63s are bona fide mechanosensitive ion channels, characterized by small conductance and high thresholds. TMEM63s possess evolutionary variations in the intracellular linker IL2, which mediates dimerization in OSCAs. Replacement of OSCA1.2 IL2 with TMEM63A IL2 or mutations to key variable residues resulted in monomeric OSCA1.2 and MA currents with significantly higher thresholds. Structural analyses revealed substantial conformational differences in the mechano-sensing domain IL2 and gating helix TM6 between TMEM63s and OSCA1.2. Our studies reveal that mechanosensitivity in OSCA/TMEM63 channels is affected by oligomerization and suggest gating mechanisms that may be shared by OSCA/TMEM63, TMEM16, and TMC channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Zheng
- Departments of Otolaryngology & Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Shaun Rawson
- Harvard Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center for Structural Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhangfei Shen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Elakkiya Tamilselvan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Biophysics Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Harper E Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Biophysics Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Julia Halford
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Chen Shen
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Swetha E Murthy
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Maximilian H Ulbrich
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Internal Medicine IV, University of Freiburg Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marcos Sotomayor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Biophysics Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Tian-Min Fu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jeffrey R Holt
- Departments of Otolaryngology & Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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7
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Zhou Z, Martinac B. Mechanisms of PIEZO Channel Inactivation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14113. [PMID: 37762415 PMCID: PMC10531961 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PIEZO channels PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are the newly identified mechanosensitive, non-selective cation channels permeable to Ca2+. In higher vertebrates, PIEZO1 is expressed ubiquitously in most tissues and cells while PIEZO2 is expressed more specifically in the peripheral sensory neurons. PIEZO channels contribute to a wide range of biological behaviors and developmental processes, therefore driving significant attention in the effort to understand their molecular properties. One prominent property of PIEZO channels is their rapid inactivation, which manifests itself as a decrease in channel open probability in the presence of a sustained mechanical stimulus. The lack of the PIEZO channel inactivation is linked to various mechanopathologies emphasizing the significance of studying this PIEZO channel property and the factors affecting it. In the present review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying the PIEZO channel inactivation, its modulation by the interaction of the channels with lipids and/or proteins, and how the changes in PIEZO inactivation by the channel mutations can cause a variety of diseases in animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Zhou
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia;
| | - Boris Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia;
- St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
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8
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Parsonage G, Cuthbertson K, Endesh N, Murciano N, Hyman AJ, Revill CH, Povstyan OV, Chuntharpursat‐Bon E, Debant M, Ludlow MJ, Futers TS, Lichtenstein L, Kinsella JA, Bartoli F, Rotordam MG, Becker N, Brüggemann A, Foster R, Beech DJ. Improved PIEZO1 agonism through 4-benzoic acid modification of Yoda1. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2039-2063. [PMID: 36457143 PMCID: PMC10952572 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The protein PIEZO1 forms mechanically activated, calcium-permeable, non-selective cation channels in numerous cell types from several species. Options for pharmacological modulation are limited and so we modified a small-molecule agonist at PIEZO1 channels (Yoda1) to increase the ability to modulate these channels. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Medicinal chemistry generated Yoda1 analogues that were tested in intracellular calcium and patch-clamp assays on cultured cells exogenously expressing human or mouse PIEZO1 or mouse PIEZO2. Physicochemical assays and wire myography assays on veins from mice with genetic disruption of PIEZO1. KEY RESULTS A Yoda1 analogue (KC159) containing 4-benzoic acid instead of the pyrazine of Yoda1 and its potassium salt (KC289) have equivalent or improved reliability, efficacy and potency, compared with Yoda1 in functional assays. Tested against overexpressed mouse PIEZO1 in calcium assays, the order of potency (as EC50 values, nM) was KC289, 150 > KC159 280 > Yoda1, 600). These compounds were selective for PIEZO1 over other membrane proteins, and the physicochemical properties were more suited to physiological conditions than those of Yoda1. The vasorelaxant effects were consistent with PIEZO1 agonism. In contrast, substitution with 2-benzoic acid failed to generate a modulator. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 4-Benzoic acid modification of Yoda1 improves PIEZO1 agonist activity at PIEZO1 channels. We suggest naming this new modulator Yoda2. It should be a useful tool compound in physiological assays and facilitate efforts to identify a binding site. Such compounds may have therapeutic potential, for example, in diseases linked genetically to PIEZO1 such as lymphatic dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Parsonage
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | | | - Naima Endesh
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Nicoletta Murciano
- Nanion Technologies GmbHMunichGermany
- Theoretical Medicine and BiosciencesSaarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Adam J. Hyman
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | | | - Oleksandr V. Povstyan
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | | | - Marjolaine Debant
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Melanie J. Ludlow
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Timothy Simon Futers
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Laeticia Lichtenstein
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Jacob A. Kinsella
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Fiona Bartoli
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Maria Giustina Rotordam
- Nanion Technologies GmbHMunichGermany
- Theoretical Medicine and BiosciencesSaarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | | | | | | | - David J. Beech
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of MedicineUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
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9
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Ambattu LA, Yeo LY. Sonomechanobiology: Vibrational stimulation of cells and its therapeutic implications. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021301. [PMID: 38504927 PMCID: PMC10903386 DOI: 10.1063/5.0127122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
All cells possess an innate ability to respond to a range of mechanical stimuli through their complex internal machinery. This comprises various mechanosensory elements that detect these mechanical cues and diverse cytoskeletal structures that transmit the force to different parts of the cell, where they are transcribed into complex transcriptomic and signaling events that determine their response and fate. In contrast to static (or steady) mechanostimuli primarily involving constant-force loading such as compression, tension, and shear (or forces applied at very low oscillatory frequencies (≤ 1 Hz) that essentially render their effects quasi-static), dynamic mechanostimuli comprising more complex vibrational forms (e.g., time-dependent, i.e., periodic, forcing) at higher frequencies are less well understood in comparison. We review the mechanotransductive processes associated with such acoustic forcing, typically at ultrasonic frequencies (> 20 kHz), and discuss the various applications that arise from the cellular responses that are generated, particularly for regenerative therapeutics, such as exosome biogenesis, stem cell differentiation, and endothelial barrier modulation. Finally, we offer perspectives on the possible existence of a universal mechanism that is common across all forms of acoustically driven mechanostimuli that underscores the central role of the cell membrane as the key effector, and calcium as the dominant second messenger, in the mechanotransduction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizebona August Ambattu
- Micro/Nanophysics Research Laboratory, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Leslie Y. Yeo
- Micro/Nanophysics Research Laboratory, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
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10
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Optical control of PIEZO1 channels. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1269. [PMID: 36882406 PMCID: PMC9992513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36931-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
PIEZO proteins are unusually large, mechanically-activated trimeric ion channels. The central pore features structural similarities with the pore of other trimeric ion channels, including purinergic P2X receptors, for which optical control of channel gating has been previously achieved with photoswitchable azobenzenes. Extension of these chemical optogenetics methods to mechanically-activated ion channels would provide tools for specific manipulation of pore activity alternative to non-specific mechanical stimulations. Here we report a light-gated mouse PIEZO1 channel, in which an azobenzene-based photoswitch covalently tethered to an engineered cysteine, Y2464C, localized at the extracellular apex of the transmembrane helix 38, rapidly triggers channel gating upon 365-nm-light irradiation. We provide evidence that this light-gated channel recapitulates mechanically-activated PIEZO1 functional properties, and show that light-induced molecular motions are similar to those evoked mechanically. These results push the limits of azobenzene-based methods to unusually large ion channels and provide a simple stimulation means to specifically interrogate PIEZO1 function.
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11
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Romero LO, Caires R, Kaitlyn Victor A, Ramirez J, Sierra-Valdez FJ, Walsh P, Truong V, Lee J, Mayor U, Reiter LT, Vásquez V, Cordero-Morales JF. Linoleic acid improves PIEZO2 dysfunction in a mouse model of Angelman Syndrome. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1167. [PMID: 36859399 PMCID: PMC9977963 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36818-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and atypical behaviors. AS results from loss of expression of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UBE3A from the maternal allele in neurons. Individuals with AS display impaired coordination, poor balance, and gait ataxia. PIEZO2 is a mechanosensitive ion channel essential for coordination and balance. Here, we report that PIEZO2 activity is reduced in Ube3a deficient male and female mouse sensory neurons, a human Merkel cell carcinoma cell line and female human iPSC-derived sensory neurons with UBE3A knock-down, and de-identified stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We find that loss of UBE3A decreases actin filaments and reduces PIEZO2 expression and function. A linoleic acid (LA)-enriched diet increases PIEZO2 activity, mechano-excitability, and improves gait in male AS mice. Finally, LA supplementation increases PIEZO2 function in stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We propose a mechanism whereby loss of UBE3A expression reduces PIEZO2 function and identified a fatty acid that enhances channel activity and ameliorates AS-associated mechano-sensory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis O Romero
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, College of Graduate Health Sciences, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Rebeca Caires
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - A Kaitlyn Victor
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Juanma Ramirez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Francisco J Sierra-Valdez
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Monterrey, 64849, Mexico
| | | | | | - Jungsoo Lee
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Ugo Mayor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Lawrence T Reiter
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38104, USA
| | - Valeria Vásquez
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA.
| | - Julio F Cordero-Morales
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA.
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12
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Young MN, Sindoni MJ, Lewis AH, Zauscher S, Grandl J. The energetics of rapid cellular mechanotransduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215747120. [PMID: 36795747 PMCID: PMC9974467 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215747120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells throughout the human body detect mechanical forces. While it is known that the rapid (millisecond) detection of mechanical forces is mediated by force-gated ion channels, a detailed quantitative understanding of cells as sensors of mechanical energy is still lacking. Here, we combine atomic force microscopy with patch-clamp electrophysiology to determine the physical limits of cells expressing the force-gated ion channels (FGICs) Piezo1, Piezo2, TREK1, and TRAAK. We find that, depending on the ion channel expressed, cells can function either as proportional or nonlinear transducers of mechanical energy and detect mechanical energies as little as ~100 fJ, with a resolution of up to ~1 fJ. These specific energetic values depend on cell size, channel density, and cytoskeletal architecture. We also make the surprising discovery that cells can transduce forces either nearly instantaneously (<1 ms) or with a substantial time delay (~10 ms). Using a chimeric experimental approach and simulations, we show how such delays can emerge from channel-intrinsic properties and the slow diffusion of tension in the membrane. Overall, our experiments reveal the capabilities and limits of cellular mechanosensing and provide insights into molecular mechanisms that different cell types may employ to specialize for their distinct physiological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael N. Young
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Michael J. Sindoni
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Amanda H. Lewis
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
| | - Stefan Zauscher
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - Jörg Grandl
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC27710
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13
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Alas CD, Haselwandter CA. Dependence of protein-induced lipid bilayer deformations on protein shape. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:024403. [PMID: 36932542 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.024403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Membrane proteins typically deform the surrounding lipid bilayer membrane, which can play an important role in the function, regulation, and organization of membrane proteins. Membrane elasticity theory provides a beautiful description of protein-induced lipid bilayer deformations, in which all physical parameters can be directly determined from experiments. While analytic solutions of protein-induced elastic bilayer deformations are most easily developed for proteins with approximately circular cross sections, structural biology has shown that membrane proteins come in a variety of distinct shapes, with often considerable deviations from a circular cross section. We develop here a boundary value method (BVM) that permits the construction of analytic solutions of protein-induced elastic bilayer deformations for protein shapes with arbitrarily large deviations from a circular cross section, for constant as well as variable boundary conditions along the bilayer-protein interface. We apply this BVM to protein-induced lipid bilayer thickness deformations. Our BVM reproduces available analytic solutions for proteins with circular cross section and yields, for proteins with noncircular cross section, excellent agreement with numerical, finite element solutions. On this basis, we formulate a simple analytic approximation of the bilayer thickness deformation energy associated with general protein shapes and show that, for modest deviations from rotational symmetry, this analytic approximation is in good agreement with BVM solutions. Using the BVM, we survey the dependence of protein-induced elastic bilayer thickness deformations on protein shape, and thus explore how the coupling of protein shape and bilayer thickness deformations affects protein oligomerization and transitions in protein conformational state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Alas
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
| | - Christoph A Haselwandter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA
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Mao F, Yang Y, Jiang H. Electromechanical model for object roughness perception during finger sliding. Biophys J 2022; 121:4740-4747. [PMID: 36116008 PMCID: PMC9748192 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Touch allows us to gather abundant information in the world around us. However, how sensory cells embedded in the fingers convey texture information into their firing patterns is still poorly understood. Here, we develop an electromechanical model for roughness perception by incorporating main ingredients such as voltage-gated ion channels, active ion pumps, mechanosensitive channels, and cell deformation. The model reveals that sensory cells can convey texture wavelengths into the period of their firing patterns as the finger slides across object surfaces, but they can only convey a limited range of texture wavelengths. We also show that an increase in sliding speed broadens the decoding wavelength range at the cost of reduction of lower perception limits. Thus, a smaller sliding speed and a bigger contact force may be needed to successfully discern a smooth surface, consistent with previous psychophysical observations. Moreover, we show that cells with slowly adapting mechanosensitive channels can still fire action potentials under static loadings, indicating that slowly adapting mechanosensitive channels may contribute to the perception of coarse textures under static touch. Our work thus provides a new theoretical framework to study roughness perception and may have important implications for the design of electronic skin, artificial touch, and haptic interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangtao Mao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuehua Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - Hongyuan Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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Sukharev S, Anishkin A. Mechanosensitive Channels: History, Diversity, and Mechanisms. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW), SUPPLEMENT SERIES A: MEMBRANE AND CELL BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1990747822090021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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16
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Martinac B, Kung C. The force-from-lipid principle and its origin, a ‘ what is true for E. coli is true for the elephant’ refrain. J Neurogenet 2022; 36:44-54. [DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2022.2097674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Martinac
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, St Vincent's Healthcare Clinical Campus, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ching Kung
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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