Mechanosensitive ion channels and their mode of activation

Mechanosensitive channels are ion channels whose activity is dependent on a mechanical stress on the membrane. They are believed to play a central role in mechanotransduction, the process by which mechanical energy is converted into electrical or chemical signals in biological cells. Recent progress, which has been made at the molecular level, is presented, and the two current models of activation of these channels are discussed ((C) Societe francaise de biochimie et biologie moleculaire / Elsevier, Paris).