Molecular force sensing mechanisms of PIEZO channels

该项目的目的是表征最近在动物和人类中发现的压电机械敏感离子通道的门控机制。机械转导是古老的，正如细菌中存在的机械敏感通道所表明的那样，这些通道是由双层机制激活的，根据脂质力的范式，可能也适用于压电通道的门控。压电通道在触觉和痛觉中起着至关重要的作用，并且压电1的突变已被证明会导致干细胞增生症——一种表现为溶血性贫血的遗传性遗传疾病。该项目旨在帮助回答脊椎动物机械转导的基本问题。

The aim of this project is to characterise the gating mechanism of Piezo mechanosensitive ion channels recently identified in animals and humans. Mechanotransduction is ancient, as indicated by the presence of mechanosensitive channels in bacteria where these channels are activated by the bilayer mechanism according to the force-from-lipids paradigm possibly applicable to gating of the Piezo channels as well. Piezo channels play a crucial role in senses of touch and pain, and mutations in Piezo1 have been shown to cause Xerocytosis – a hereditary genetic disorder manifested in haemolytic anemia. This project aims to help answer fundamental questions in mechanotransduction in vertebrates.