title: Anoctamin 1 mediates thermal pain as a heat sensor.
abstract: Vertebrates can sense and avoid noxious heat that evokes pain. Many thermoTRP channels are associated with temperature sensation. TRPV1 is a representative ion channel that is activated by noxious heat. Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) is a Cl- channel activated by calcium that is highly expressed in small sensory neurons, colocalized with markers for nociceptors, and most surprisingly, activated by noxious heat over 44oC. Although ANO1 is a Cl- channel, opening of this channel leads to depolarization of sensory neurons, suggesting a role in nociception. Indeed, the functional deletion of ANO1 in sensory neurons triggers the reduction in thermal pain sensation. Thus, it seems clear that ANO1 is a heat sensor in a nociceptive pathway. Since ANO1 modulators are developed for the purpose of treating chronic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, this finding is likely to predict unwanted effects and provide a guide for better developmental strategy.
authors.affiliation: Sensory Research Center, CRI, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University.
authors.forename: Hawon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Sensory Research Center, CRI, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, ; Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Uhtaek
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oh
keywords: ANO1; CaCC; heat; pain; sensory neurons.; thermo TRP