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Ganglion-specific splicing of TRPV1 underlies infrared sensation in vampire bats

Author

Listed:
  • Elena O. Gracheva

    (University of California)

  • Julio F. Cordero-Morales

    (University of California)

  • José A. González-Carcacía

    (Centro de Ecología, Laboratorio de Biología de Organismos, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela)

  • Nicholas T. Ingolia

    (Carnegie Institution)

  • Carlo Manno

    (Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela)

  • Carla I. Aranguren

    (Centro de Ecología, Laboratorio de Biología de Organismos, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela)

  • Jonathan S. Weissman

    (University of California
    California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California)

  • David Julius

    (University of California
    University of California)

Abstract

The vampire bat's unique infrared detectors Blood-feeding vampire bats have evolved the ability to detect infrared (IR) radiation as a means of locating hot spots on warm-blooded prey. Only three other vertebrate lineages have this 'sixth' sense: three distantly related groups of snakes (pit vipers, pythons and boas). In all cases, the IR sensor is a highly specialized facial structure called the pit organ. In the snakes, a non-heat-sensitive ion channel (vertebrate TRPA1) has become an infrared detector. As reported in this issue, vampire bats use a slightly different molecular mechanism whereby RNA splicing generates a variant of the ubiquitous TRPV1 heat-sensitive channel that is tuned to lower temperatures. Comparison of this channel's gene sequence with the equivalent in other mammals lends support to the hypothesis based on molecular data that these bats are evolutionarily grouped with horses, dogs, cows, moles and dolphins (in the Laurasiatheria superorder), rather than with humans, monkeys and rodents (in the Euarchontoglires) as originally proposed on anatomical criteria.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena O. Gracheva & Julio F. Cordero-Morales & José A. González-Carcacía & Nicholas T. Ingolia & Carlo Manno & Carla I. Aranguren & Jonathan S. Weissman & David Julius, 2011. "Ganglion-specific splicing of TRPV1 underlies infrared sensation in vampire bats," Nature, Nature, vol. 476(7358), pages 88-91, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:476:y:2011:i:7358:d:10.1038_nature10245
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10245
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    Cited by:

    1. Shogo Hori & Michihiro Tateyama & Tsuyoshi Shirai & Yoshihiro Kubo & Osamu Saitoh, 2023. "Two single-point mutations in Ankyrin Repeat one drastically change the threshold temperature of TRPV1," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Avnika Bali & Samantha P. Schaefer & Isabelle Trier & Alice L. Zhang & Lilian Kabeche & Candice E. Paulsen, 2023. "Molecular mechanism of hyperactivation conferred by a truncation of TRPA1," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.

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