State-dependent binding of the wedge domain controls inactivation of the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1
Lucas Roettger, Nadja Zeitzschel, Christian Gorzelanny, Clement Verkest, Stefan G. Lechner · 2026
Read State-dependent binding of the wedge domain controls inactivation of the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1 by Lucas Roettger, Nadja Zeitzschel, Christian Gorzelanny, Clement Verkest, Stefan G. Lechner (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13518315.txt.
Description
Lucas Roettger and colleagues dissected in 2026 how the touch channel PIEZO1 switches itself off. The channel converts membrane stretch into calcium signals throughout the body, and while its opening mechanism is well mapped, its rapid inactivation after sustained force was not. The suspects included an intracellular piece of the protein called the wedge domain. The team combined targeted mutations, electrical recordings, and a super-resolution imaging method sensitive to single molecules.
Deleting the wedge, or breaking the specific aromatic interactions binding its first helix to the pore module, weakened inactivation while leaving activation intact. Imaging suggested the wedge pins the channel into a flattened shape identified with the inactivated state, and that the wedge must let go before recovery. The authors propose the wedge as a state-dependent inactivation particle docking onto the pore to end each response.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Lucas Roettger, Nadja Zeitzschel, Christian Gorzelanny, Clement Verkest, Stefan G. Lechner |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 70 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |