title: Sensing pH with TMCs.
abstract: Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins have been implicated in hair cell mechanotransduction, Drosophila proprioception, and sodium sensing in the nematode C. elegans. In this issue of Neuron, Wang et al. (2016) report that C. elegans TMC-1 mediates nociceptor responses to high pH, not sodium, allowing the nematode to avoid strongly alkaline environments in which most animals cannot survive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Collaborative Research Center 'Molecular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing', DFG SFB-889, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spalthoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Collaborative Research Center 'Molecular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing', DFG SFB-889, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: mgoepfe@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Martin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Göpfert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology