Abstract
Mechanosensory transduction underlies a wide range of senses, including proprioception, touch, balance, and hearing. The pivotal element of these senses is a mechanically gated ion channel that transduces sound, pressure, or movement into changes in excitability of specialized sensory cells. Despite the prevalence of mechanosensory systems, little is known about the molecular nature of the transduction channels. To identify such a channel, we analyzed Drosophila melanogaster mechanoreceptive mutants for defects in mechanosensory physiology. Loss-of-function mutations in the no mechanoreceptor potential C (nompC) gene virtually abolished mechanosensory signaling. nompC encodes a new ion channel that is essential for mechanosensory transduction. As expected for a transduction channel, D. melanogaster NOMPC and a Caenorhabditis elegans homolog were selectively expressed in mechanosensory organs.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Action Potentials
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Adaptation, Physiological
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology
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Chromosome Mapping
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Cloning, Molecular
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Dendrites / physiology
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Drosophila Proteins*
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Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
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Drosophila melanogaster / physiology*
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Gene Expression Profiling
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Genes, Insect
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Hair Cells, Auditory / physiology
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Insect Proteins / chemistry
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Insect Proteins / genetics
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Insect Proteins / physiology
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Ion Channels / chemistry
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Ion Channels / genetics*
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Ion Channels / physiology*
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Mechanoreceptors / physiology*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Mutation
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Neurons, Afferent / physiology*
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Patch-Clamp Techniques
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Physical Stimulation
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Proprioception
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Sensation / physiology
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Sense Organs / physiology
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Signal Transduction
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Touch
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Transient Receptor Potential Channels
Substances
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Drosophila Proteins
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Insect Proteins
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Ion Channels
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NOMPC protein, Drosophila
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Transient Receptor Potential Channels