Download MendeleyArchitecture of the mammalian mechanosensitive Piezo1 channel
Ge, J., Li, W., Zhao, Q., Li, N., Chen, M., Zhi, P., Li, R., Gao, N., Xiao, B., Yang, M.(2015) Nature 527: 64-69
- PubMed: 26390154
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15247
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
3JAC, 4RAX - PubMed Abstract:
Piezo proteins are evolutionarily conserved and functionally diverse mechanosensitive cation channels. However, the overall structural architecture and gating mechanisms of Piezo channels have remained unknown. Here we determine the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the full-length (2,547 amino acids) mouse Piezo1 (Piezo1) at a resolution of 4.8 Å. Piezo1 forms a trimeric propeller-like structure (about 900 kilodalton), with the extracellular domains resembling three distal blades and a central cap. The transmembrane region has 14 apparently resolved segments per subunit. These segments form three peripheral wings and a central pore module that encloses a potential ion-conducting pore. The rather flexible extracellular blade domains are connected to the central intracellular domain by three long beam-like structures. This trimeric architecture suggests that Piezo1 may use its peripheral regions as force sensors to gate the central ion-conducting pore.
Organizational Affiliation:
Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences or Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
