Mechanisms for Inactivation in Piezo Ion Channels

An organism's ability to sense mechanical forces is critical for the detection of environmental stimuli as well as the regulation of internal processes necessary for survival. In vertebrates, the molecular mechanism of somatosensation has remained an important and unresolved neurobiological question. In the past decade, Piezo ion channels have emerged as the first vertebrate ion channels identified responsible for transforming somatosensory stimuli into excitatory signals in the nervous system, generating our sense of touch. However, little still is known about the precise mechanisms for how Piezo channels activate and inactivate in the presence of stimuli and how they could potentially be modulated.