| First Author | Tu YH | Year | 2018 |
| Journal | Science | Volume | 359 |
| Issue | 6379 | Pages | 1047-1050 |
| PubMed ID | 29371428 | Mgi Jnum | J:259123 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6148496 | Doi | 10.1126/science.aao3264 |
| Citation | Tu YH, et al. (2018) An evolutionarily conserved gene family encodes proton-selective ion channels. Science 359(6379):1047-1050 |
| abstractText | Ion channels form the basis for cellular electrical signaling. Despite the scores of genetically identified ion channels selective for other monatomic ions, only one type of proton-selective ion channel has been found in eukaryotic cells. By comparative transcriptome analysis of mouse taste receptor cells, we identified Otopetrin1 (OTOP1), a protein required for development of gravity-sensing otoconia in the vestibular system, as forming a proton-selective ion channel. We found that murine OTOP1 is enriched in acid-detecting taste receptor cells and is required for their zinc-sensitive proton conductance. Two related murine genes, Otop2 and Otop3, and a Drosophila ortholog also encode proton channels. Evolutionary conservation of the gene family and its widespread tissue distribution suggest a broad role for proton channels in physiology and pathophysiology. |
