Mechanosensitivity and Ion Channels

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biophysics: Structure, Dynamics, and Function".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 7204

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Grupo de Investigación SINPOS, Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
2. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: the peripheral nervous system; mechanobiology; the biological, chemical or physical effects triggered by mechanical stimuli on the cells; ion channels; TRP (transient receptor potential); ASIC (acid-sensing ion channels); the Piezo family (PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 proteins)

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cell Biology and Morphology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: anatomy; morphology; molecular biology; Piezo2; immunohistochemistry; the peripheral nervous system; diabetic neuropathy; multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Alzheimer's

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mechanosensitivity is the ability of cells to detect mechanical and physical forces, and it is essential for many physiological functions, playing a pivotal role in both health and disease. At a molecular level, these forces are detected by mechano-gated ion channels that function as mechanosensors and/or mechanotransducers that can transform mechanical cues into electrical and biochemical signals, allowing the cell to adapt and respond to mechanical forces. The last decade has witnessed a revolution in mechanosensory physiology at molecular and cellular levels since the discovery of the family of mechano-gated piezo ion channels. Members of this family, i.e., Piezo1 and Piezo2, are present in both vertebrate and invertebrate cells and play key roles not only in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction but also in cell physiology like proliferation, migration, etc. They are widely distributed in both nervous and non-nervous tissues and are involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases like cancer. In addition to Piezo channels, members of the transient receptor potential ion channel and degenerin-EnaC ion channels superfamily participate in mechanosensing.

This Special Issue "Mechanosensitivity and Ion Channels" aims to collect reviews and original papers related to mechanosensing–mechanotransduction in multiple organs in health and diseases. 

Prof. Dr. Olivia García-Suarez
Dr. Yolanda García-Mesa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mechanosensation
  • piezo ion channels
  • mechanosensitivity ion channels
  • mechanotrasduction

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 3912 KB  
Article
Immunohistochemical Detection of the Mechano-Gated Piezo Channels in the Normal Endometrium and in Endometriosis
by Angel Sánchez del Rio, Yolanda García-Mesa, Ana Gutiérrez-Palacios, Patricia Cuendias, Eliseo Viña, Graciela Martínez-Barbero, José A. Vega and Olivia García-Suárez
Biomolecules 2026, 16(1), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16010166 - 19 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1349
Abstract
Endometriosis is an inflammatory estrogen-dependent disorder characterized by pain, dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, and infertility. This is due to the invasion of different organs by endometrial tissue that causes inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis. The ion channels Piezo1 and Piezo2 primarily work as mechanosensors and mechanotransducers [...] Read more.
Endometriosis is an inflammatory estrogen-dependent disorder characterized by pain, dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, and infertility. This is due to the invasion of different organs by endometrial tissue that causes inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis. The ion channels Piezo1 and Piezo2 primarily work as mechanosensors and mechanotransducers but also have functions that could participate in the clinical hallmarks of endometriosis. Thus, we investigated the occurrence and localization of Piezo1 and Piezo2 in healthy human endometrium and in endometriosis using immunohistochemistry. In healthy endometrium, Piezo1 immunoreactivity was detected in the glands and to a lesser extent in the stroma; Piezo2 was present in the same locations but at low or residual levels. In ectopic endometriosis, there was an increase in the intensity of Piezo1 regardless of location; Piezo2 only showed a net increase in the ovarian and vaginal endometriosis foci. The present results demonstrate the occurrence of Piezo ion channels in the healthy human endometrium for the first time, as well as an increase in Piezo1 in ectopic endometriosis, and no changes in Piezo2 with the exception of the ovary and vagina. However, these results are descriptive and qualitative, although they may serve as the basis for further studies. The role of these ion channels in the endometrium and in the pathogenesis of endometriosis remains to be elucidated, and more precise methods are needed to follow up on this pilot study that can be better analyzed statistically to confirm the results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanosensitivity and Ion Channels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 17758 KB  
Article
Piezo1 Channel Activators Yoda1 and Yoda2 in the Context of Red Blood Cells
by Min Qiao, Reetta Penttinen, Ariel Coli, Nicoletta Murciano, Felix M. Maurer, Christian Wagner, Maria Giustina Rotordam and Lars Kaestner
Biomolecules 2025, 15(8), 1110; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15081110 - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 5307
Abstract
Piezo1 is a mechanosensitive non-selective cation channel. Genetic alterations of the channel result in a hematologic phenotype named Hereditary Xerocytosis. With Yoda1 and, more recently, Yoda2, compounds to increase the activity of Piezo1 have become available. However, their concrete effect depends on the [...] Read more.
Piezo1 is a mechanosensitive non-selective cation channel. Genetic alterations of the channel result in a hematologic phenotype named Hereditary Xerocytosis. With Yoda1 and, more recently, Yoda2, compounds to increase the activity of Piezo1 have become available. However, their concrete effect depends on the nano environment of the channel and hence on the cell type. Here we compare the potency of Yoda1 and Yoda2 in red blood cells (RBCs). We investigate the effect of the compounds on direct channel activity using automated patch clamp, as well as the secondary effects of channel activation on signalling molecules and cellular response. In terms of signalling, we investigate the temporal response of the second messenger Ca2+, and in terms of cellular response, the activity of the Gárdos channel. The opening of the Gárdos channel leads to a hyperpolarisation of the RBCs, which is measured by the Macey–Bennekou–Egée (MBE) method. Although the interpretation of the data is not straightforward, we discuss the results in a physiological context and provide recommendations for the use of Yoda1 and Yoda2 to investigate RBCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanosensitivity and Ion Channels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop