Brv1 Is Required for Drosophila Larvae to Sense Gentle Touch

Mingfeng Zhang; Xia Li; Honglan Zheng; Xiaoxu Wen; Sihan Chen; Jia Ye; Siyang Tang; Fuqiang Yao; Yuezhou Li; Zhiqiang Yan

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.041

Brv1 Is Required for Drosophila Larvae to Sense Gentle Touch

Cell Rep. 2018 Apr 3;23(1):23-31. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.041.

Authors

Mingfeng Zhang¹, Xia Li², Honglan Zheng³, Xiaoxu Wen², Sihan Chen², Jia Ye², Siyang Tang², Fuqiang Yao³, Yuezhou Li⁴, Zhiqiang Yan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Children's Hospital and Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Human Phenome Institute, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Brain Science, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
² Children's Hospital and Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Human Phenome Institute, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Brain Science, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
⁴ Children's Hospital and Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: yuezhou-li@zju.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Human Phenome Institute, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Institute of Brain Science, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China. Electronic address: zqyan@fudan.edu.cn.

PMID: 29617663
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.041

Abstract

How we sense touch is fundamental for many physiological processes. However, the underlying mechanism and molecular identity for touch sensation are largely unknown. Here, we report on defective gentle-touch behavioral responses in brv1 loss-of-function Drosophila larvae. RNAi and Ca²⁺ imaging confirmed the involvement of Brv1 in sensing touch and demonstrated that Brv1 mediates the mechanotransduction of class III dendritic arborization neurons. Electrophysiological recordings further revealed that the expression of Brv1 protein in HEK293T cells gives rise to stretch-activated cation channels. Purified Brv1 protein reconstituted into liposomes were found to sense stretch stimuli. In addition, co-expression studies suggested that Brv1 amplifies the response of mechanosensitive ion channel NOMPC (no mechanoreceptor potential C) to touch stimuli. Altogether, these findings demonstrate a molecular entity that mediates the gentle-touch response in Drosophila larvae, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms of touch sensation.

Keywords: Brv1; NOMPC; ion channel; mechanosensitive channel; mechanotransduction; stretch-activated channel; touch; touch sensation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Action Potentials
Animals
Drosophila Proteins / genetics
Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
Drosophila melanogaster
Mechanotransduction, Cellular*
Sensory Receptor Cells / physiology
Touch*
Transient Receptor Potential Channels / genetics
Transient Receptor Potential Channels / metabolism*

Substances

Drosophila Proteins
NOMPC protein, Drosophila
Transient Receptor Potential Channels
brv1 protein, Drosophila