力信号转导的基本元件:机械力敏感离子通道的研究进展

Fundamental elements of mechanotransduction in life: mechanosensitive ion channels

对力的感知和响应是生命的特征之一,其分子机制一直是生命科学中最引人入胜、最富挑战性的系列问题之一。近年来人们发现,机械力敏感离子通道在细胞感知和响应机械力信号的过程中扮演了"哨兵"的重要角色。越来越多的离子通道被发现能够被机械力激活,从而开启下游的信号通路。其中,MscL和MscS是原核生物中研究最早、最深入的两种离子通道;在真核生物中,Piezo1和Piezo2两种离子通道因为其独特的曲率结构和在哺乳动物各种生理过程中的重要作用而逐渐成为研究的热点。该文主要对以上四种离子通道的研究历史、结构、门控机制以及潜在应用进行综述。

Mechanical force is of vital importance for living creatures. However, the molecular basis of mechanosensation and mechanoactuation remained unclear. In the past decades, it has come to be known that mechanosensitive ion channels(MSCs), existing in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, play important roles in cell mechanotransduction. Among prokaryotic MSCs, MscL and MscS have been the most intensively studied ones in the past decades. Eukaryotic MSCs, such as Piezo1 and Piezo2, are gaining increasing attentions for their unique bowl-like structure and important roles in multiple mammalian physiological processes. This review mainly summarizes our current knowledge of the four aforementioned MSCs on their research history, structures, gating features, and potential applications.