2019
A hydrophobic gate in the inner pore helix is the major determinant of inactivation in mechanosensitive Piezo channels
Zheng W, Gracheva EO, Bagriantsev SN. A hydrophobic gate in the inner pore helix is the major determinant of inactivation in mechanosensitive Piezo channels. ELife 2019, 8: e44003. PMID: 30628892, PMCID: PMC6349400, DOI: 10.7554/elife.44003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPiezo channelsLining inner helixIon channelsMechanosensitive Piezo channelsInner pore helixImportance of inactivationMouse Piezo1Disease-causing mutationsHydrophobic gateInner helixPore helixPhysiological processesMechanism of inactivationStimulation triggersInactivationInactivation gatePiezo1Normal functionHelixHydrophobic barrierFast inactivationPhysical constrictionSecondary gateRate of inactivationMajor determinant
2017
Molecular Prerequisites for Diminished Cold Sensitivity in Ground Squirrels and Hamsters
Matos-Cruz V, Schneider ER, Mastrotto M, Merriman DK, Bagriantsev SN, Gracheva EO. Molecular Prerequisites for Diminished Cold Sensitivity in Ground Squirrels and Hamsters. Cell Reports 2017, 21: 3329-3337. PMID: 29262313, PMCID: PMC5741102, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.083.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTransmembrane domainCold toleranceCold sensitivityGround squirrelsRat orthologMolecular adaptationsMammalian hibernatorsReciprocal mutationsAmino acidsFunctional significanceOrthologsSquirrelsMolecular prerequisitesActive stateHibernatorsTRPM8Somatosensory neuronsTolerancePoor activationSpeciesDomainMutationsResiduesHibernationCells
2016
Low-cost functional plasticity of TRPV1 supports heat tolerance in squirrels and camels
Laursen WJ, Schneider ER, Merriman DK, Bagriantsev SN, Gracheva EO. Low-cost functional plasticity of TRPV1 supports heat tolerance in squirrels and camels. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2016, 113: 11342-11347. PMID: 27638213, PMCID: PMC5056056, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604269113.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAfferent PathwaysAmino Acid SequenceAmino Acid SubstitutionAnimalsAnkyrin RepeatCamelusCapsaicinConserved SequenceGanglia, SpinalHEK293 CellsHot TemperatureHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationIon Channel GatingMutationNeuronsSciuridaeSequence AlignmentThermotoleranceTRPV Cation ChannelsXenopusConceptsHeat toleranceCommon molecular strategyN-terminal ankyrinSingle amino acid changeSingle amino acid substitutionGround squirrelsPolymodal ion channelAmino acid changesAmino acid substitutionsRemarkable functional flexibilityFunctional conservationEcological nichesChemical cuesMammalian speciesMolecular strategiesAcid changesAcid substitutionsHeat sensitivityTransient receptor potential vanilloid 1Ion channelsOrthologsFunctional plasticitySquirrelsBactrian camelsSuch adaptation