Piezo1-mediated mechanotransduction enhances macrophage oxidized low-density lipoprotein uptake and atherogenesis.

Macrophages in the vascular wall ingest and clear lipids, but abundant lipid accumulation leads to foam cell formation and atherosclerosis, a pathological condition often characterized by tissue stiffening. While the role of biochemical stimuli in the modulation of macrophage function is well studied, the role of biophysical cues and the molecules involved in mechanosensation are less well understood. Here, we use genetic and pharmacological tools to show extracellular oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) stimulate Ca signaling through activation of the mechanically gated ion channel Piezo1.

Polymodal K channel modulation contributes to dual analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions of traditional botanical medicines.

Pain and inflammation contribute immeasurably to reduced quality of life, yet modern analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapeutics can cause dependence and side effects. Here, we screened 1444 plant extracts, prepared primarily from native species in California and the United States Virgin Islands, against two voltage-gated K channels - T-cell expressed Kv1.3 and nociceptive-neuron expressed Kv7.

Photoswitching alters fluorescence readout of jGCaMP8 Ca indicators tethered to Orai1 channels.

We used electrophysiology and Ca channel tethering to evaluate the performance of jGCaMP8 genetically encoded Ca indicators (GECIs). Orai1 Ca channel-jGCaMP8 fusions were transfected into HEK 293A cells and jGCaMP8 fluorescence responses recorded by simultaneous total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology. Noninactivating currents from the Orai1 Y80E mutant provided a steady flux of Ca controlled on a millisecond time scale by step changes in membrane potential.