Piezo type mechanosensitive ion channel components
piezo type mechanosensitive ion channel components
Piezos are the largest known pore-forming multimeric (individual subunits arranged as trimers) ion channels, with each subunit composed of ∼2,500 amino acids and containing 30–40 potential transmembrane domains. Mechanical activation of the channel results in influx of sodium and calcium, which can lead to the propagation of electrical signals and initiate intracellular secondary messenger pathways. Vertebrates have two Piezo genes, PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, and the resulting proteins share ∼50% identity at the amino acid level. It is likely that they evolved to take on specialized roles in the particular tissues in which they are expressed: PIEZO1 is expressed mainly in non-neuronal cells, whereas PIEZO2 is expressed in sensory neurons and in some specialized mechanosensory structures.