NBIO Presents: Kara Marshall, PhD (Baylor College of Medicine)

Feeling the Force: PIEZO ion channels in interoception

Abstract:  The Marshall lab studies how mechanosensory molecules and cells—those that sense forces like pressure and stretch—regulate physiology. Inside our bodies, various organs distend and contract as they perform their functions, and embedded neurons monitor and transmit the resulting mechanical sensations to the brain to guide the appropriate behaviors. For example, stretch sensors in the stomach initiate digestion and mediate the sensation of fullness, and bladder stretch alerts us to find a bathroom. Despite their importance, the mechanosensory systems that govern these processes are not well understood. We previously have found that the mechanosensory PIEZO ion channels are critical for a number of interoceptive functions, and we continue using these sensors as genetic handles to understand how mechanosensation contributes to physiology in health and disease