Channel Candidates

By Kerry Grens

While many potential mechanotransduction channels have been disregarded outright, a few have proved promising and others still remain a possibility. here are a few of the likeliest candidates, past and present. Those that remain a possibility are marked with an asterisk (*).

CHANNEL EVIDENCE FOR EVIDENCE AGAINST REFERENCES
Nompc, transient receptor potential (TRP) channel in Drosophila Mutants have vestibular defects and altered transduction current NompC gene is not present in mammals Science, 287:2229-34, 2000
TRPA1, mammalian TRP channel Antibody to channel localizes to stereocilia tips, and inhibition of the channel alters transduction current Knockout mice have no hearing disabilities Nature, 432:723-30, 2004
ENaC, family of amiloridesensitive epithelial sodium channels C. elegans mutants are defective for mechanosensation; protein localized to hair cell stereocilia; also present in sensory endings in skin Conductance too low; knockout mice have normal hearing J Physiol-London, 558:659-69, 2004
TRPML3*,...



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