The region adjacent to the C-end of the inner gate in transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channels plays a central role in allosteric channel activation.

The ability of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels to sense and respond to environmental and endogenous cues is crucial in animal sensory physiology. The molecular mechanism of channel gating is yet elusive. The TRP box, a conserved region in the N-end of the C terminus domain, has been signaled as pivotal for allosteric activation in TRP channels. Here, we have examined the role of the linker region between the TRPM8 inner gate and the TRP box (referred to as the S6-TRP box linker) to identify structural determinants of channel gating. Stepwise substitutions of segments in the S6-TRP box linker of TRPM8 channel with the cognate TRPV1 channel sequences produced functional chimeric channels, and identified Tyr(981) as a central molecular determinant of channel function. Additionally, mutations in the 986-990 region had a profound impact on channel gating by voltage and menthol, as evidenced by the modulation of the conductance-to-voltage (G-V) relationships. Simulation of G-V curves using an allosteric model for channel activation revealed that these mutations altered the allosteric constants that couple stimuli sensing to pore opening. A molecular model of TRPM8, based on the recently reported TRPV1 structural model, showed that Tyr(981) may lie in a hydrophobic pocket at the end of the S6 transmembrane segment and is involved in inter-subunit interactions with residues from neighbor subunits. The 986-990 region holds intrasubunit interactions between the TRP domain and the S4-S5 linker. These findings substantiate a gating mechanism whereby the TRP domain acts as a coupling domain for efficient channel opening. Furthermore, they imply that protein-protein interactions of the TRP domain may be targets for channel modulation and drug intervention.

Local delivery of molecules from a nanopipette for quantitative receptor mapping on live cells.

Using nanopipettes to locally deliver molecules to the surface of living cells could potentially open up studies of biological processes down to the level of single molecules. However, in order to achieve precise and quantitative local delivery it is essential to be able to determine the amount and distribution of the molecules being delivered. In this work, we investigate how the size of the nanopipette, the magnitude of the applied pressure or voltage, which drives the delivery, and the distance to the underlying surface influences the number and spatial distribution of the delivered molecules. Analytical expressions describing the delivery are derived and compared with the results from finite element simulations and experiments on delivery from a 100 nm nanopipette in bulk solution and to the surface of sensory neurons. We then developed a setup for rapid and quantitative delivery to multiple subcellular areas, delivering the molecule capsaicin to stimulate opening of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1) channels, membrane receptors involved in pain sensation. Overall, precise and quantitative delivery of molecules from nanopipettes has been demonstrated, opening up many applications in biology such as locally stimulating and mapping receptors on the surface of live cells.

Electrochemical nanoprobes for single-cell analysis.

The measurement of key molecules in individual cells with minimal disruption to the biological milieu is the next frontier in single-cell analyses. Nanoscale devices are ideal analytical tools because of their small size and their potential for high spatial and temporal resolution recordings. Here, we report the fabrication of disk-shaped carbon nanoelectrodes whose radius can be precisely tuned within the range 5-200 nm. The functionalization of the nanoelectrode with platinum allowed the monitoring of oxygen consumption outside and inside a brain slice. Furthermore, we show that nanoelectrodes of this type can be used to impale individual cells to perform electrochemical measurements within the cell with minimal disruption to cell function. These nanoelectrodes can be fabricated combined with scanning ion conductance microscopy probes, which should allow high resolution electrochemical mapping of species on or in living cells.