Editor's Summary
4 August 2005
How we feel the force
The senses of sight, smell and taste share a common molecular basis: the binding of a ligand to a G-protein-coupled receptor. But the mechanical senses of touch and hearing have proved harder nuts to crack and their molecular mechanisms are not yet clear. Work showing that mechanosensitive ion channels in bacteria are capable of sensing forces directly from the lipid bilayer may have provided an important clue. It suggests that lipids may also be involved in gating the mechanosensitive channels of fungi, plants and animals. Ching Kung reviews progress in the field, and concludes that the complex mechanosensing systems need to be further reduced in the laboratory before it will be possible to calibrate the emerging 'force-from-lipid' concept.
Review: A possible unifying principle for mechanosensation
Ching Kung
doi:10.1038/nature03896