Mechanosensitive Channels: History, Diversity, and Emerging Mechanisms

Abstract

Mechanical forces are inseparable from most cellular functions. Cell division, contraction and adhesion generate intrinsic forces in the cells, whereas perturbations in the environment such as osmotic shifts, mechanical pressure, shear or sound represent the external forces that the cells gauge and respond to. Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels, which are the fastest mechanotransducers, represent a polyphyletic group with vastly diverse structural designs. In this review we briefly outline the history of the field by presenting major findings in a nearly chronological order, describe structural features of different groups and attempt to illustrate some common physical principles of their gating mechanisms.