title: Expression and localization of TREK-1 K+ channels in human odontoblasts.
abstract: During tooth development, odontoblasts are the cells that form dentin and possibly mediate early stages of sensory processing in teeth. It is suggested that ion channels assist in these events. Indeed, mechanosensitive potassium currents, transducing mechanical stimuli into electrical cell signals, have been previously recorded in the human odontoblast cell membrane. Here, we show by RT-PCR that the mechanosensitive potassium channel TREK-1 (a member of the two-pore-domain potassium channel family) is overexpressed in these cultured cells compared with pulp cells in vitro. In situ hybridization showed that transcripts are detected in the odontoblast layer in vivo. The use of antibodies shows that TREK-1 is strongly expressed in the membrane of coronal odontoblasts and absent in the root. This distribution is related to the spatial distribution of nerve endings identified by labeling of the low-affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor (p75(NTR)). These results demonstrate the expression of TREK-1 in human odontoblasts in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire du Développement des Tissus Dentaires, EA 1892, IFR 62, Faculté d'Odontologie, Rue G. Paradin, 69372, Lyon cedex 08, France. magloire@laennec.univ-lyon1.fr
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Magloire
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lesage
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Couble
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazdunski
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bleicher
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D024683:Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C103742:potassium channel protein TREK-1