The Piezo2 ion channel is mechanically activated by low-threshold positive pressure
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Authors
Shin, Kyung C.
Park, Hyun J.
Kim, Jae G.
Lee, In H.
Cho, Hawon
Park, Chanjae
Sung, Tae S.
Koh, Sang D.
Park, Sang W.
Bae, Young M.
Issue Date
2019
Type
Article
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Abstract
Recent parallel studies clearly indicated that Merkel cells and the mechanosensitive piezo2 ion channel play critical roles in the light-touch somatosensation. Moreover, piezo2 was suggested to be a light-touch sensing ion channel without a role in pain sensing in mammals. However, biophysical characteristics of piezo2, such as single channel conductance and sensitivities to various mechanical stimuli, are unclear, hampering a precise understanding of its role in touch sensation. Here, we describe the biophysical properties of piezo2 in human Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC)-13 cells piezo2 is a low-threshold, positive pressure-specific, curvature-sensitive, mechanically activated cation channel with a single channel conductance of -28.6 pS. Application of step indentations under the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique, and positive pressures >= 5 mmHg under the cell-attached mode, activated piezo2 currents in MCC-13 and human embryonic kidney 293T cells where piezo2 was overexpressed. By contrast, application of a negative pressure failed to activate piezo2 in these cells, whereas both positive and negative pressure activated piezo1 in a similar manner. Our results are the first to demonstrate single channel recordings of piezo2. We anticipate that our findings will be a starting point for a more sophisticated understanding of piezo2 roles in light-touch sensation.
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Citation
Shin, K. C., Park, H. J., Kim, J. G., Lee, I. H., Cho, H., Park, C., É Bae, Y. M. (2019). The Piezo2 ion channel is mechanically activated by low-threshold positive pressure. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-42492-4
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
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ISSN
2045-2322