2026-03-24 自然科学研究機構
図1 エーテルリン脂質ePLの合成酵素が神経に豊富に存在するePLの合成酵素であるAGPS（白色）を可視化したハエ幼虫の全身像。
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.nips.ac.jp/release/2026/03/post_571.html
- https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)00584-5
エーテルリン脂質はショウジョウバエの複数の受容体機能を調節することにより、体性感覚応答を制御する Ether phospholipids modulate somatosensory responses by tuning multiple receptor functions in Drosophila
Takuto Suito ∙ Xiangmei Deng ∙ Shoma Sato ∙ … ∙ Yuji Hara ∙ Makoto Tominaga ∙ Takaaki Sokabe
iScience Published:March 3, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115209
Highlights
- Ether phospholipids (ePLs) are enriched in sensory neurons in Drosophila
- ePL depletion leads to defects in mechano- and thermosensory behaviors
- ePLs are required to sensitize a mechanosensor, PIEZO, and a thermosensor, TRPA1
- Plasma membrane tension and lipid order are modified in the presence of ePLs
Summary
PIEZO and TRP channels are receptors for physical stimuli such as mechanical touch and temperature in sensory neurons. As these receptors are localized in the plasma membrane, the modulation of their activities by membrane lipids has recently attracted attention. In this study, we focused on ether phospholipids (ePLs) enriched in neurons and analyzed their role in somatosensation using Drosophila. Reduced mechanosensory behavior was observed with ePL-synthesizing gene knockout or knockdown in PIEZO-expressing neurons. PIEZO activation was significantly augmented in the presence of ePLs. Furthermore, we observed that ePLs modulate the thermosensory behavior and reduce the temperature threshold of TRPA1. Finally, we revealed that ePLs affect membrane tension and lipid order of the plasma membrane in cultured cells. Our study identified ePLs as a modulator of a specific set of receptors for multiple somatosensory modalities, which underscores the significance of functional interaction between membrane lipids and sensory channel proteins.
