TRPA1 contributes to cold, mechanical, and chemical nociception but is not essential for hair-cell transduction.
TRPA1, a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of ion channels, is expressed by dorsal root ganglion neurons and by cells of the inner ear, where it has proposed roles in sensing sound, painful cold, and irritating chemicals. To test the in vivo roles of TRPA1, we generated a mouse in which the essential exons required for proper function of the Trpa1 gene were deleted. Knockout mice display behavioral deficits in response to mustard oil, to cold ( approximately 0 degrees C), and to punctate mechanical stimuli. These mice have a normal startle reflex to loud noise, a normal sense of balance, a normal auditory brainstem response, and normal transduction currents in vestibular hair cells. TRPA1 is apparently not essential for hair-cell transduction but contributes to the transduction of mechanical, cold, and chemical stimuli in nociceptor sensory neurons.
Kwan
Kelvin Y
KY
Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. kelvin_kwan@hms.harvard.edu
Allchorne
Andrew J
AJ
Vollrath
Melissa A
MA
Christensen
Adam P
AP
Zhang
Duan-Sun
DS
Woolf
Clifford J
CJ
Corey
David P
DP
D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003080:Cold Temperature; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000378:metabolism; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000074025:TRPA1 Cation Channel; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D000074025:TRPA1 Cation Channel; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels; C475685:Trpa1 protein, mouse