title: Astrocytes express functional TRPV2 ion channels.
abstract: Thermosensitive transient receptor potential (thermo TRP) channels are important for sensory transduction. Among them, TRPV2 has an interesting characteristic of being activated by very high temperature (>52 °C). In addition to the heat sensor function, TRPV2 also acts as a mechanosensor, an osomosensor and a lipid sensor. It has been reported that TRPV2 is expressed in heart, intestine, pancreas and sensory nerves. In the central nervous system, neuronal TRPV2 expression was reported, however, glial expression and the precise roles of TRPV2 have not been determined. To explore the functional expression of TRPV2 in astrocytes, the expression was determined by histological and physiological methods. Interestingly, TRPV2 expression was detected in plasma membrane of astrocytes, and the astrocytic TRPV2 was activated by very high temperature (>50 °C) consistent with the reported characteristic. We revealed that the astrocytic TRPV2 was also activated by lysophosphatidylcholine, a known endogenous lipid ligand for TRPV2, suggesting that astrocytic TRPV2 might regulate neuronal activities in response to lipid metabolism. Thus, for the first time we revealed that TRPV2 is functionally expressed in astrocytes in addition to neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan. Electronic address: shibasaki@gunma-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibasaki
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishizaki
authors.forename: Sravan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mandadi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C485717:Trpv2 protein, mouse; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Astrocyte; Cerebellum; Glia; Lysophosphatidylcholine; TRPV2; Temperature