Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-2330, USA.
Neuron. 2010 Oct 6;68(1):1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.09.038.
ASICs (acid-sensing ion channels) are proton-gated channels that are important for pain sensation. New work by Yu and coworkers in this issue of Neuron identifies synthetic ligands and related small molecules found in the inflammatory soup that activate ASICs. These new findings highlight the power of small molecule screening to find new compounds that can control channel function. They also demonstrate how the discovery and characterization of such molecules can lead to new insights regarding channel mechanism and natural ligands.
ASICs(酸感应离子通道)是质子门控通道,对于痛觉很重要。神经元杂志本期中由 Yu 和同事们开展的新工作鉴定了在炎症汤中发现的激活 ASICs 的合成配体和相关的小分子。这些新发现突出了小分子筛选寻找可控制通道功能的新化合物的力量。它们还表明,此类分子的发现和表征如何能够为通道机制和天然配体提供新的见解。