Which of the following is a mechanically gated ion channel?
Mechanically gated ion channels convert physical deformation stretch pressure into electrical signals essential for touch hearing proprioception vascular tone and volume control. Stretch-activated cation channels in dorsal root sensory neurons including Piezo1 and Piezo2 giant proteins over thirty transmembrane helices propeller blades and TRP members like TRPV4 contain large curved domains acting as membrane tension sensors coupled to central pore. Increased lateral tension or cytoskeletal pulling flattens protein expanding fenestrations opening pore permeable to Na+ K+ Ca2+ generating recept
Ref: Ranade et al., Nature 2015: Piezo Proteins as Mechanically-Gated Stretch Channels.