Potentiation of TRPC5 by protons

Mammalian members of the classical transient receptor potential channel subfamily ( TRPC) are Ca2+-permeable cation channels involved in receptor-mediated increases in intracellular Ca2+. TRPC4 and TRPC5 form a group within the TRPC subfamily and are activated in a phospholipase C-dependent manner by an unidentified messenger. Unlike most other Ca2+-permeable channels, TRPC4 and -5 are potentiated by micromolar concentrations of La3+ and Gd3+. This effect results from an action of the cations at two glutamate residues accessible from the extracellular solution. Here, we show that TRPC4 and -5 respond to changes in extracellular pH. Lowering the pH increased both G protein-activated and spontaneous TRPC5 currents. Both effects were already observed with small reductions in pH ( from 7.4 to 7.0) and increased up to pH 6.5. TRPC4 was also potentiated by decreases in pH, whereas TRPC6 was only inhibited, with a pIC(50) of 5.7. Mutation of the glutamate residues responsible for lanthanoid sensitivity of TRPC5 (E543Q and E595Q) modified the potentiation of TRPC5 by acid. Further evidence for a similarity in the actions of lanthanoids and H+ on TRPC5 is the reduction in single channel conductance and dramatic increase in channel open probability in the presence of either H+ or Gd3+ that leads to larger integral currents. In conclusion, the high sensitivity of TRPC5 to H+ indicates that, in addition to regulation by phospholipase C and other factors, the channel may act as a sensor of pH that links decreases in extracellular pH to Ca2+ entry and depolarization.