A new study from Grandl Lab and first author Michael Sindoni has discovered that different versions of the Piezo2 protein—the body's key sensor for touch and internal mechanical signals—respond to physical forces in different ways. Piezo2 helps us feel touch, sense body position, monitor lung expansion, and regulate digestive movement. The study found that a small section of the protein, called exon 35, makes certain Piezo2 variants much more sensitive to stretching and pressure on cell membranes.
Read the article in Cell Reports.