Title: Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Drosophila

Speaker: Dr. Zuoren Wang

Time: September 27 2016 (Tue) 13:00-15:00

Venue: R1113, Wangkezhen Building, PKU

Mechanotransduction is the basis of several sensory modalities, including touch, hearing, proprioception and gravity sensation. Despite of its importance to sensory processing and behavior, the molecular mechanisms underlying mechanotransduction remain to be fully understood.  In particular, the identity of the ion channels serving mechanotransduction is still unknown in many species. We performed systematical function studies on a series of Drosophila ion channels, and found that 1) the amiloride-sensitive PPK28 channel may serve as the osmolarity sensor for gustatory water reception in the fruit fly, 2) NOMPC is likely to be a crucial component of mechanotransducers that accounts for mechanotransductions in mechanosensory neurons of Drosophila, 3) PPK26 and PPK might form heteromeric DEG/ENaC channels that are essential for mechanotransduction in class IV da neurons; and 4) TMC is essential for Drosophila proprioception and the sensory control of larval locomotion. Our findings provide important clues to fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of mechanotransduction.

Host：Donggen LUO