Unlike vision, smell, and tastes, the molecular mechanisms of hearing, touch, and blood- pressure or systemic-osmolarity sensing are unknown. How ion channels receive mechanical forces remain obscure, except for bacterial channels MscL, MscS. We are using the rat TRP channel V4 subtype, to help fill this knowledge gap. We have now shown TRPV4's direct response to membrane stretch under Xenopus oocyte patch clamp. We have also developed yeast as a new arena to dissect TRPV4. Our work challenges a previous TRPV4's osmotic-gating model. We plan to define the force-sensing domain within TRPV4, using strategic peptide insertions and chimeras. 2008-11 found TRPV4 gain-of-function mutations to cause two sets of human diseases: skeletal dysplasia (SD) and adult peripheral neuropathy. We examined 14 SD alleles and found the level of increased basal TRPV4 activity parallels the severity of the SD disease. Besides understanding the working of the wild-type TRPV4 channels, we now plan to examine 17 mutations in the ankyrin-repeat domain (ARD), of which crystal structure is known. This work aims towards understanding how ARD mutations can lead to two disparate diseases. In collaboration, we will also use trpV4-/- knock-out mice to test the role of TRPV4 in fracture healing.
Ion-channel mechanosensitivity underlies the physiology and pathology of hearing, touch, the sensing of blood pressure, systemic osmolarity etc. Understanding how a channel protein receives forces is fundamental. The molecular functioning of the mechanosensitive TRPV4 channel has direct impact on human health: TRPV4 mutations cause autosomal dominant brachyolmia, spondylmetaphyseal dysplasias Kozlowski type, metatropic dysplasia, scapuloperoneal spinal muscular atrophies, and Charcot- Marie-Tooth disease type 2C in human.
| Teng, Jinfeng; Loukin, Stephen H; Anishkin, Andriy et al. (2016) A competing hydrophobic tug on L596 to the membrane core unlatches S4-S5 linker elbow from TRP helix and allows TRPV4 channel to open. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:11847-11852 |
| Teng, Jinfeng; Loukin, Stephen; Anishkin, Andriy et al. (2015) The force-from-lipid (FFL) principle of mechanosensitivity, at large and in elements. Pflugers Arch 467:27-37 |
| Loukin, Stephen H; Teng, Jinfeng; Kung, Ching (2015) A channelopathy mechanism revealed by direct calmodulin activation of TrpV4. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:9400-5 |
| Teng, Jinfeng; Loukin, Stephen H; Anishkin, Andriy et al. (2015) L596-W733 bond between the start of the S4-S5 linker and the TRP box stabilizes the closed state of TRPV4 channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:3386-91 |
| Teng, Jinfeng; Loukin, Steve; Kung, Ching (2014) Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Cardiovascular Physiology. Exp Clin Cardiol 20:6550-6560 |
| Anishkin, Andriy; Loukin, Stephen H; Teng, Jinfeng et al. (2014) Feeling the hidden mechanical forces in lipid bilayer is an original sense. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:7898-905 |
| Teng, Jinfeng; Loukin, Stephen; Zhou, Xinliang et al. (2013) Yeast luminometric and Xenopus oocyte electrophysiological examinations of the molecular mechanosensitivity of TRPV4. J Vis Exp : |
| Anishkin, Andriy; Kung, Ching (2013) Stiffened lipid platforms at molecular force foci. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:4886-92 |
