title: The Touching Tail of a Mechanotransduction Channel.
abstract: In mechanotransduction, sensory receptors convert force into electrical signals to mediate such diverse functions as touch, pain, and hearing. In this issue of Cell, Zhang et al. present evidence that the fly NompC channel senses mechanical stimuli using its N-terminal tail as a tether between the cell membrane and microtubules.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02458, USA; Volen Center for Complex Systems, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02458, USA.
authors.forename: Zachary A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaudet
authors.affiliation: National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02458, USA; Volen Center for Complex Systems, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02458, USA. Electronic address: pgarrity@brandeis.edu.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Garrity
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D050051:Transient Receptor Potential Channels