Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation
Mechanosensation is central to a wide range of functions, including tactile and pain perception, hearing, proprioception, and control of blood pressure, but identifying the molecules underlying mechanotransduction has proved challenging. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the avoidance response to gentle bo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2020-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/50597 |
| _version_ | 1811236801989312512 |
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| author | Denise S Walker William R Schafer |
| author_facet | Denise S Walker William R Schafer |
| author_sort | Denise S Walker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mechanosensation is central to a wide range of functions, including tactile and pain perception, hearing, proprioception, and control of blood pressure, but identifying the molecules underlying mechanotransduction has proved challenging. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the avoidance response to gentle body touch is mediated by six touch receptor neurons (TRNs), and is dependent on MEC-4, a DEG/ENaC channel. We show that hemichannels containing the innexin protein UNC-7 are also essential for gentle touch in the TRNs, as well as harsh touch in both the TRNs and the PVD nociceptors. UNC-7 and MEC-4 do not colocalize, suggesting that their roles in mechanosensory transduction are independent. Heterologous expression of unc-7 in touch-insensitive chemosensory neurons confers ectopic touch sensitivity, indicating a specific role for UNC-7 hemichannels in mechanosensation. The unc-7 touch defect can be rescued by the homologous mouse gene Panx1 gene, thus, innexin/pannexin proteins may play broadly conserved roles in neuronal mechanotransduction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:15:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-44478cf4cf7f4e91918984d88667b393 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:15:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-44478cf4cf7f4e91918984d88667b3932022-12-22T03:33:27ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2020-01-01910.7554/eLife.50597Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensationDenise S Walker0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1534-1679William R Schafer1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6676-8034MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United KingdomMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United KingdomMechanosensation is central to a wide range of functions, including tactile and pain perception, hearing, proprioception, and control of blood pressure, but identifying the molecules underlying mechanotransduction has proved challenging. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the avoidance response to gentle body touch is mediated by six touch receptor neurons (TRNs), and is dependent on MEC-4, a DEG/ENaC channel. We show that hemichannels containing the innexin protein UNC-7 are also essential for gentle touch in the TRNs, as well as harsh touch in both the TRNs and the PVD nociceptors. UNC-7 and MEC-4 do not colocalize, suggesting that their roles in mechanosensory transduction are independent. Heterologous expression of unc-7 in touch-insensitive chemosensory neurons confers ectopic touch sensitivity, indicating a specific role for UNC-7 hemichannels in mechanosensation. The unc-7 touch defect can be rescued by the homologous mouse gene Panx1 gene, thus, innexin/pannexin proteins may play broadly conserved roles in neuronal mechanotransduction.https://elifesciences.org/articles/50597mechanosensationinnexingap junctions |
| spellingShingle | Denise S Walker William R Schafer Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation eLife mechanosensation innexin gap junctions |
| title | Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation |
| title_full | Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation |
| title_fullStr | Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation |
| title_short | Distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation |
| title_sort | distinct roles for innexin gap junctions and hemichannels in mechanosensation |
| topic | mechanosensation innexin gap junctions |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/50597 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deniseswalker distinctrolesforinnexingapjunctionsandhemichannelsinmechanosensation AT williamrschafer distinctrolesforinnexingapjunctionsandhemichannelsinmechanosensation |