Subdued, a TMEM16 family Ca²⁺-activated Cl⁻channel in Drosophila melanogaster with an unexpected role in host defense.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 24192034.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.00862 and PMC identifier 3814000.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
TMEM16A and TMEM16B are calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) with important functions in mammalian physiology. Whether distant relatives of the vertebrate TMEM16 families also form CaCCs is an intriguing open question. Here we report that a TMEM16 family member from Drosophila melanogaster, Subdued (CG16718), is a CaCC. Amino acid substitutions of Subdued alter the ion selectivity and kinetic properties of the CaCC channels heterologously expressed in HEK 293T cells. This Drosophila channel displays characteristics of classic CaCCs, thereby providing evidence for evolutionarily conserved biophysical properties in the TMEM16 family. Additionally, we show that knockout flies lacking subdued gene activity more readily succumb to death caused by ingesting the pathogenic bacteria Serratia marcescens, suggesting that subdued has novel functions in Drosophila host defense. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00862.001.
Medical subject headings
- Calcium
- Chloride Channels
- Drosophila melanogaster