DRASIC Contributes to pH-Gated Currents in Large Dorsal Root Ganglion Sensory Neurons by Forming Heteromultimeric Channels

• Published in: Journal of neurophysiology 2002-06, Vol.87 (6), p.2835-2843
• Main Authors: Xie, Jinghui, Price, Margaret P, Berger, Allan L, Welsh, Michael J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acid Sensing Ion Channels; Acids - pharmacology; Amiloride - pharmacology; Animals; Capsaicin - analogs & derivatives; Capsaicin - pharmacology; Diuretics - pharmacology; FMRFamide - pharmacology; Ganglia, Spinal - cytology; Ganglia, Spinal - metabolism; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Ion Channel Gating - drug effects; Ion Channel Gating - physiology; Membrane Potentials - drug effects; Membrane Potentials - physiology; Membrane Proteins; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neurons, Afferent - metabolism; Neuropeptides - pharmacology; Protons; Sodium Channels - genetics; Sodium Channels - metabolism
• ISSN: 0022-3077; 1522-1598
• DOI: 10.1152/jn.2002.87.6.2835

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Departments of Internal Medicine, and Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 Xie, Jinghui, Margaret P. Price, Allan L. Berger, and Michael J. Welsh. DRASIC Contributes to pH-Gated Currents in Large Dorsal Root Ganglion Sensory Neurons by Forming Heteromultimeric Channels. J. Neurophysiol. 87: 2835-2843, 2002. For many years it has been observed that extracellular acid activates transient cation currents in large-diameter mechanosensory dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. However, the molecular basis of these currents has not been known. Large DRG neurons express the dorsal root acid sensing ion channel (DRASIC), suggesting that DRASIC might contribute to H + -gated DRG currents. To test this, we examined whole cell currents in large DRG neurons from mice in which the DRASIC gene had been disrupted. We found that DRASIC null neurons retained H + -gated currents, indicating that DRASIC alone was not required for the currents. However, without DRASIC, the properties of the currents changed substantially as compared with wild-type neurons. In DRASIC -/- neurons, the rate of current desensitization in the continued presence of an acid stimulus slowed dramatically. H + -gated currents in DRASIC null neurons showed a decreased sensitivity to pH and an enhanced sensitivity to amiloride. The loss of DRASIC also altered but did not abolish the current potentiation generated by FMRF-related peptides. These data indicate that the DRASIC subunit makes an important contribution to H + -gated currents in large DRG sensory neurons. The results also suggest that related acid-activated DEG/ENaC channel subunits contribute with DRASIC to form heteromultimeric acid-activated channels.