
Scientists identify sensor protein that underlies bladder control The protein works in bladder and urinary tract cells to detect bladder fullness; understanding its mechanism may lead to needed treatments.
October 14, 2020
LA JOLLA, CA A team co-led by scientists at Scripps Research has found that the main sensor protein enabling our sense of touch also underlies the feeling of having a full bladder and makes normal bladder function possible.
The discovery, published Oct. 14 in Nature, marks a key advance in basic neurobiology and may also lead to better treatments for bladder control and urination problems, which are common especially among the elderly.
We tend to take urination for granted, and it has been under-studied, yet it's a huge burden when something goes wrong with this system, says the study's lead author Kara Marshall, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research. Now we've identified a crucial part of how urination normally works.
Marshall and her colleagues focused in this study on the PIEZO2 protein, a mechanosensor that detects the physical stretching of tissues where it resides. They found that PIEZO2 is expressed in cells of the bladder and is necessary for normal urinary continence and functioning in both mice and humans.
Who would have imagined that the same mechanosensor protein enabling our sense of touch also alerts us that our bladder is full? says co-senior author Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, Professor and Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurobiology at the Dorris Neuroscience Center at Scripps Research, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
In 2010, Patapoutian and his lab first identified PIEZO2 and its sister protein PIEZO1 as mechanosensors that sense mechanical distortions of tissues. For that feat, among others, Patapoutian was a co-recipient of the prestigious 2020 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience.
Like most sensor proteins, the PIEZOs are ion-channel proteins, which are embedded in their host cell's outer membrane and, when triggered by a stimulus, allow a flow of charged atoms into the cell. Sensor ion-channel proteins are usually found in sensory neurons in the skin, joints and other organs. On a given neuron, when enough of these channels open to admit ion flows, the neuron will fire a nerve signal to the brain.
For PIEZOs, the stimulus that triggers the opening of the ion channel is the stretching of the cell membrane due to mechanical forces on the local tissue. In studies over the past decade, Patapoutian and his colleagues have shown that PIEZO2 is expressed is different organs and tissues throughout the body. For example, they exist in lung tissues to sense lung stretch and help regulate breathing, in blood vessels to sense blood pressure and in the skin to mediate the sense of touch.
The new study was a collaboration with Alexander Chesler, PhD, and Carsten B nnemann, MD, senior investigators at the National Institutes of Health. Chesler and B nnemann, and their colleagues, have been studying people born with genetic mutations that result in the functional loss of PIEZO2. These individuals suffer various impairments in sensory pathways known to be PIEZO2-related.
For the study, NIH investigators found that these PIEZO2-deficient individuals, in addition to their other sensory deficits, lack the normal sense of having a full bladder. They typically urinate on a schedule to avoid incontinence and have trouble completely emptying their bladder when they do urinate.
Patapoutian, Marshall and their colleagues showed in experiments that the loss of PIEZO2 has similar effects in mice. The urinary tract uses PIEZO2 protein in both bladder sensory neurons and in bladder-lining cells called umbrella cells to detect stretch and facilitate urination, indicating a two-part sensor system. As they determined in experiments, bladder neurons in mice normally respond robustly with nerve signals when the bladder is filled but are almost completely silent during bladder filling if they lack PIEZO2.
The mice lacking PIEZO2 in their lower urinary tracts also showed abnormal urination reflexes in the muscles controlling the urethra, the duct in which urine flows from the bladder. That suggests that in mice and most likely in people, the mechanosensor protein is needed both for normal bladder-stretch sensation and for normal urination.
The team is currently following up with research on the distinct roles of bladder neurons and umbrella cells, and how they signal to each other. They are also investigating the possible roles of other mechanosensors, such as PIEZO1, in bladder control and urination.
Mice without PIEZO2 had clear urination deficits, but ultimately were still able to urinate, so that suggests another mechanosensory protein may be involved, Marshall says.
The study, PIEZO2 in sensory neurons and urothelial cells coordinates urination, was authored by Kara Marshall, Adam Coombs, Jason Keller, Ihab Daou, Lisa Stowers, and Ardem Patapoutian of Scripps Research; and Dimah Saade, Nima Ghitani, Marcin Szczot, Tracy Ogata, Carsten B nnemann, and Alexander Chesler of the National Institutes of Health.
Funding was provided by Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Institutes of Health (R35 NS105067).
Neuroscience Patapoutian, Ardem
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...
12/03/2025
New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...
12/03/2025
Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...
12/03/2025
ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...
12/03/2025
Consumer show back following hugely successful first series
10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...
11/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
11/03/2025
Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...
11/03/2025
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...
11/03/2025
The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...
11/03/2025
NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...
11/03/2025
NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...
11/03/2025
Powerful switcher for news studio
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...