Intracellular ATP and ion channel.

The intracellular tyrosine residues of the ATP-gated P2X(1) ion channel are essential for its function.

The four highly conserved intracellular tyrosine residues of the P2X(1) ion channel were mutated into phenylalanine. Simultaneous electrophysiological and calcium measurements in transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells indicated that Y362F and Y370F mutants were non-functional, despite their proper plasma membrane expression. The Y16F and Y363F mutants retained 2.2% and 26% of the wi...

Optimal ion channel clustering for intracellular calcium signaling.

Ion channels and receptors in the cell membranes and internal membranes are often distributed in discrete clusters. One particularly well-studied example is the distribution of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors in the plasma membrane that controls the flux of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol. By using mathematical modeling, we show that channel clustering can enhance the...

Influenza virus activates inflammasomes via its intracellular M2 ion channel

Influenza virus is responsible for annual epidemics that cause severe illness in ~5 million people worldwide. Evidence has shown that influenza infection engages the NLRP3 inflammasome complex in dendritic cells and macrophages1–4. NLRP3 forms a multiprotein complex with the adaptor protein ASC (pycard) and caspase-1, which leads to the catalytic cleavage of the immature (‘pro’) forms of interl...

Anandamide as an intracellular messenger regulating ion channel activity.

The endocannabinoid anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) was proposed to be an extracellular retrograde messenger, which regulates excitability of neurons by cannabinoid CB1 receptor-dependent inhibition of neurotransmitter release. Recent findings indicate that the neuromodulatory actions of anandamide might be more complex. Anandamide has been shown to directly modulate various ion channel...

Ion channel activity drives ion channel expression.